FPM Board election 2023 - results
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote during the 2023 FPM Board Elections. We received two applications for one vacancy to the Board and the results have been confirmed and independently verified.
We are pleased to announce that Dr Helen Makins has been elected to the Board of the Faculty of Pain Medicine. Dr Makins will commence her six year term at the Board meeting on 8 March 2024. We hope you will join us in congratulating Dr Makins, we look forward to working with her. Dr Makins' election statement can be found below.
The full results of the election can be accessed via this link
We would like to thank Dr Devjit Srivastava for his support of the Faculty and we hope you will stand again in the future.
Cheltenham Hospital, Cheltenham
nominated by Dr Nishi Patel and Dr Sarah Harper
Q1: What experience do you have in local, regional and national committees, projects and initiatives?
I have worked exclusively as a pain medicine consultant for several years. This has given me the opportunity and privilege to work on pain-specific initiatives locally, nationally and internationally:
- Current clinical lead for chronic pain at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHSFT. Service developments include nurse-led medication optimisation clinics; development of a paediatric pain/FND service; coaching skills training for pain MDT; implementation of ACSA pain standards.
- Work with Gloucestershire CCG/ICB and third sector, to improve services for patients with pain in primary and secondary care. This includes development of a social prescribing project for children with pain.
- Appointed ICB clinical lead for outpatients, currently working collaboratively with multidisciplinary clinicians and commissioners to optimise referral management and communication between primary care and all specialities.
- Former Essential Pain Management (EPM) lead at the FPM and have contributed to the widespread use of a standard structure to teach pain management, developing materials for online and face to face UK courses.
- Director of multiple EPM courses in West Africa and member of the ANZCA/WFSA EPM international steering group.
- Member of the FPM Training and Assessment Committee, leading a project to introduce a communication course for pain clinicians.
Q2: What would you aim to do if elected to the Board?
If elected, I would share my experience and work collaboratively to
- Promote and protect the identity of pain doctors and the services they work in.
- Listen to members to ensure that the FPM continues to address the evolving challenges faced by pain clinicians.
- Provide support to those who choose or are required to change practice in the light of new evidence or resource pressures.
- Further the evolution of exemplar educational and assessment resources for all colleagues.
- Consider how the FPM, its members and their departments could support collaborative working with wider stakeholders, including commissioning bodies.
