FICM Board Elections 2021

Board of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine Election Results

We received nine applications for the three vacancies on the Board. Voting for the election closed on Monday 18 October at 12pm. The results have been confirmed and independently verified and three candidates have been duly elected. I am therefore pleased to announce that the following people have been elected to the Board of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine:

• Dr Elizabeth Thomas
• Dr Monika Beatty
• Prof Julia Wendon (re-elected for a second term)

*Candidates are listed in order of the date their nomination was received

For anyone who was unsuccessful on this occasion or did not feel able to apply this year, we are going to be holding another election on 26 July 2022 and there will be 4 vacancies. We will be putting a call out for nominations for the 2022 election on 1 April 2022.

Dr Thomas and Prof Wendon will commence their four year terms at the Board on 12 January 2022 and Dr Beatty will commence their four year term in 01 May 2022. I hope you’ll join us in congratulating and welcoming them to the Faculty. We look forward to working with them to make our specialty the best it can be.

Their election statements are copied below for information.

Alison Pittard
Dean, FICM

THOMAS, Elizabeth – Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport

Nominated by Dr Daniele Bryden & Dr Jack Parry-Jones

I am a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, a large DGH (appointed 2013). I am passionate about providing the best care for my patients, staff appreciation, well-being and safety. For the past 4 years I have been Clinical Director for Critical Care in my trust. I was FICM Tutor before becoming CD (2017).

Having been Clinical Director during the pandemic means I have strategically planned and increased ICU capacity by 300%, adapted to the needs of the pandemic, ensured the welfare of all critical care staff, submitted data to national stocktakes and presented at peer reviews.

Regionally 

• Final FRCA exam prep lead - North-West school of Anaesthesia (2012-2020).
• Greater Manchester Critical Care Network lead for infection prevention. (2016-2018).

Nationally

• Chair of Women in ICM – a subcommittee of FICM (September 2020 - present).
• Co-lead for Thrive – FICM mentoring project which launched May 2021.
• FICM Careers, Recruitment and Workforce committee member. I am organising the 2021 FICM clinical leads meeting.
• An author of FICM publication - Critical Staffing #1 - A best practice framework for safe and effective Critical Care staffing (2021).
• Examiner for Royal College of Anaesthetists, for the Final FRCA (2020- present).

With your vote I would positively and determinedly work to ensure that our patients and their families benefit from excellent Consultant-led, standards-driven multidisciplinary Critical Care. I will continue building on the WICM work of promoting ICM as a career for all. I will work hard to support our Specialty, ensuring excellent training for trainees and safe, sustainable, well-resourced critical care units in all areas of the UK. I am passionate, organised and I deliver on time. 

BEATTY, Monika - Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Nominated by Prof Michael Gillies and Dr Sarah Clarke

I am a consultant in full-time Critical Care at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. I graduated from Liverpool University, trained in anaesthesia and ICM in SE Scotland, and completed an OOPE in ICM and pre-hospital/aeromedical medicine, in Sydney.

I have been the Lead ICM RA for Scotland since 2018, and RA for SE Scotland since 2016. I am passionate about improving the quality and diversity of ICM training and advocating for trainees and ACCPs. As Lead RA for Scotland, my main aims have included: increasing the profile of ICM, securing dedicated funding for the ICM training programme and increasing trainee numbers. This has involved working with NES, the Scottish Government Transitions Group, the Scottish Critical Care Delivery Group, and the Scottish Intensive Care Society. To date, we have been successful in securing a year-on-year increase, in both funding and ICM NTNs.

I am an ex-officio member of the RCoA Scottish Board and SICS Council, a co-opted member of the FICM CRW and FICM TAQ committees, and a FFICM examiner and member of the SOE examiner group. I have represented FICM TAQ, at HEE stakeholder medical education and training forums.

I have a strong interest in medical ethics and law, completed an MA in Health Care Ethics and Law, at the University of Manchester and joined the FICM LEPU committee in 2019.

I believe I could offer a proactive, enthusiastic and intuitive approach, to a broad range of the Board’s key strategic aims. My experience and interests range from postgraduate training to recruitment, and professional standards/medicolegal aspects to workforce planning. Having represented the specialty on both UK and Scottish bodies and gained insight and experience working with stakeholders across the UK, I am keen and well placed to support the Board, in ensuring delivery of a four-nation approach.

WENDON, Julia  – King’s College Hospital, London

Nominated by Prof Andrew Rhodes and Dr Georg Auzinger

I am an intensivist, based at Kings, London with previous clinical leadership and Board experience. I have had the privilege of being part of the Board of FICM for the last 3 years and have contributed meetings, to GPICS documentation, and feedback to guidance. I am working with colleagues on “return to work” guidance and have been involved in research and in assessment of applications for awards.  

During COVID, as Clinical Director for the London Adult Critical Care (ACC) ODN, I worked as a part of a multi-professional team co-ordinating and supporting the London response, working with the ODN leadership and structures. In this role I have input into national and regional meetings addressing capacity, Adult Critical Care Transport services, Wellbeing, Enhanced care and alongside models to support complex care across the systems. 

I am committed to continue to work to improve the quality of ACC for our patients, their families, and our staff. Health inequalities have to be addressed as does equity, diversity and inclusivity. The wellbeing of our staff must continue to be addressed and progressed. We must grasp the opportunities this period offers to develop and grow our speciality, through the themes of education, research and clinical service development, recognising the needs of different units, the opportunities of networks and collaboration.

Contribute to the development of ACC through Board meetings, engagement with other societies and national bodies to ensure we optimize opportunities for Critical Care to develop and grow as a speciality. Work with FICM with colleagues support various themes eg GPICS, return to work guidance amongst others.

• Ensure wellbeing is at the core of all our undertakings. 
• Ensure education, research and evaluation are embedded in all service developments
• Ensure we consider health inequalities, equity, diversity and inclusion in all our work.