Professor Sue Bailey starts her three year
term of office as the new President of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists today (30 June 2011).
Professor Bailey is Consultant Child and
Adolescent Forensic Psychiatrist in the Forensic Adolescent
Consultation & Treatment Services (FACTS) at Greater Manchester
West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The focus of her clinical work and research
has been assessing the needs and managing the risks presented by
and to young people who enter the mental health, social care and
youth justice systems nationally and
internationally.
Professor Bailey has been active in the work
of the RCPsych for many years. From 2001 to 2005, Sue was Chair of
the Child and Adolescent Faculty of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists, and from 2005-2010 she was Registrar of the College,
responsible for shaping mental health policy and working in
partnership with service users and carers.
Professor Bailey said: “I am delighted to have
been chosen to lead the Royal College of Psychiatrists over the
next three years. My predecessor, Professor Dinesh Bhugra, has
worked hard to promote the role of psychiatrists as leaders in
delivering quality services and ensuring the voice of psychiatrists
is heard at the very highest level. This is something I aim to
continue. In addition, having been a child and adolescent
psychiatrist for 30 years, I hope to speak out for the needs of
young people and families.
“It is vital that services for people with
mental illness are not eroded during this period of economic
restraint. We know that mental illness is associated with great
risk of physical illness, and vice versa. Promoting mental health
can bring great health, social and economic benefits across all
sectors of society.”
Professor Bailey’s priorities are to:
- Promote the importance of research into mental illness and
learning disability, to improve the health of the nation.
- Work with families to improve their mental health and emotional
well-being
- Highlight inequalities in health and social care for vulnerable
groups, including children and people with learning disabilities,
patients in forensic settings, and those from diverse
cultures.
- Support services, treatment and choice for psychiatric patients
across the lifespan in this time of economic uncertainty.
Professor Sue Bailey succeeds Professor Dinesh
Bhugra, who has been President since 2008.
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127