FICM Board Election 2022 - RESULTS!

Published 21/07/2022

We received eight applications for the four vacancies on the Board. Voting for the election closed on Monday 18 July at 12pm. The results have been confirmed and independently verified and four 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 Shashikumar Chandrashekaraiah 
  • Dr Matthew Williams 
  • Dr Peter Hersey 
  • Dr Dhruv Parekh 

The full results of the election can be accessed here

For anyone who was unsuccessful on this occasion or did not feel able to apply this year, we will be holding another election in 2024 and there will be 3 vacancies. 

The elected candidates will commence their four year terms at the Board on 19 October 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.

Dr Alison Pittard OBE
Dean, FICM

Candidates' election statements

CHANDRASHEKARAIAH, Shashikumar – Royal Preston Hospital, Preston
Nominated by Dr Sarah Clarke and Dr Ken McGrattan

What experience do you have in local, regional and national committees, projects and initiatives?  

As a Consultant in Anaesthesia & ICM at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHTR) since 2015; I firmly believe in promoting learning in a supportive environment with equal opportunities for all. 

Current LTHTR ICM workforce-lead/rota master & Associate Director PGME. Started MTI & CESR programme, F3/Fellow posts and ACCP programme with a well-structured support system. Established support for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with supernumerary period to get used to NHS, buddy system, & dedicated teaching sessions relevant to IMGs.

Awarded ‘most inspirational person of the year’ at the LTHTR people awards 2018.
Vice-chair Northwest LED/SAS/MTI network setup to offer uniform support to all LEDs across the region.

FICM MTI lead & CRW committee member (2019), FICM CESR committee (2020), RCoA CESR committee (2022);

  • Built IMG section of the FICM website, working on CESR guidance, enhanced induction and differential attainment
  • Developed “New to NHS”, RCoA national simulation programme on communication skills and human factors for doctors new to the NHS; shortlisted for the education award at the ICS awards 2020. 

Written articles on workforce development, IMG support, National simulation programme and IMG experience during COVID. Was an invited speaker on the MTI programme, IMG support/supervision, workforce development and CESR support/guidance at national/international events. Am also a mentor to refugee ICM/Anaes doctors in the Northwest and support a simulation programme in Nigeria.

What would you aim to do if elected to the Board?

Adequately staffed and appropriately resourced healthcare is key to providing excellent care to our patients/families. With my experience and commitment, in collaboration with various stake holders I aim to:

  • develop a sustainable workforce who feel valued and work in a safe environment with an MDT approach.
  • offer enhanced support for IMGs, career guidance to CESR aspirants and adequate support to all LED doctors. 
  • closely work with ICM bodies globally to share good practices thereby improve the quality of patient care.

WILLIAMS, Matthew – Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth
Nominated by Dr Sarah Clarke and Dr Peter Shirley

What experience do you have in local, regional and national committees, projects and initiatives?  

I am a full time Consultant Intensivist at Portsmouth Hospitals, commencing in 2005.  My career focus has been medical education, striving to drive standards in training and education. From IBTICM Tutor, then Faculty Tutor to Regional Advisor from 2016, and now Lead RA since October 2020 for the 4 devolved nations, I am actively involved in all aspects of delivering Post Graduate education: locally, regionally & nationally.

Since 2019, I sit on FICM’s Training, Assessment & Quality Committee, and have represented the Faculty at HEE, AoMRC and GMC meetings. I have led the implementation of the new ICM Curriculum since September 2020. 
FFICM Examiner, since 2014.

I was Clinical Director for Portsmouth Simulation Centre from 2011-21. Appointed Associate Dean for Simulation & Patient Safety in November 2021.

I made significant contributions, on behalf of FICM, to writing, reviewing and presenting national guidance on many aspects of the evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic including upskilling, #BetterTogether, clinical guidance for critically ill covid patients (see icmanaesthesiaCOVID-19.org), and ARCP decision aids.

What would you aim to do if elected to the Board?

The last few years have been challenging and interesting in equal measure. I aim to embrace and respond to the challenges and opportunities that the specialty of ICM faces, now and in the future. Training and supporting the workforce is key; my goal will be to steer strategic aims to recruit and retain an appropriately trained workforce to deliver the high quality, standards-driven multi-disciplinary care that the patients and families we care for expect and deserve.

As a member of the Board, it will be my objective to ensure the Faculty’s integrity and reputation is maintained and developed. I would very much like to use my enthusiasm and experience to support FICM’s work to ensure Consultants and doctors in training can work in a collaborative, sustainable, appropriately resourced, and safe environment. 
 

HERSEY, Peter – Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland
Nominated by Dr Dale Gardiner and Dr Chris Thorpe

What experience do you have in local, regional and national committees, projects and initiatives?  

I first became involved with FICM as a faculty tutor, before becoming deputy clinical lead for the ICM e-portfolio in 2015. I worked to improve the ‘old portfolio’ and then to develop the lifelong learning portfolio, which was successfully released earlier this year. In 2016 I was appointed by the faculty to work with Health Education England to create and deliver the e-ICM programme. After launching e-ICM, I formed and now chair the education Sub-Committee. This group continues to develop and expand the educational content produced by the faculty under the banner of FICMLearning.  I have been an active member of the Training Assessment and Quality Committee since 2019, and in 2021 I was delighted to be awarded a Faculty Commendation.  

I have been a clinical lead for organ donation since 2016, and I am a CPD assessor for the RCoA.

For the last 5 years I have been a clinical lead for critical care in the northeast of England. During this period, I have provided leadership through COVID as well as through a trust merger. These experiences have allowed me to develop my skills in pragmatic change management and an ability to ‘see the wood for the trees’ that I would bring to the role of board member.  

My clinical work is split between a large general ICU and one of the smallest non-specialist units in the country, which gives me a good understanding of the varying challenges units can face.   

What would you aim to do if elected to the Board?

Working with the faculty has allowed me to make a positive difference, and election to board would further expand the scope of my involvement.  In return I will continue to graft and deliver for the advancement of our specialty.

PAREKH, Dhruv  – Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Nominated by Dr Mamta Patel and Prof Julian Bion

What experience do you have in local, regional and national committees, projects and initiatives?  

I am a Consultant in Critical Care and Respiratory Medicine in the West Midlands. I am also a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham. Locally, I am FICM Faculty Tutor at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust and co-Education lead of our large department of over 60 trainees. I have been integral to our COVID19 Tactical group and response, leading operations and senior command. I also sit on the Trust Guidelines Committee. Regionally I am the Integrated Academic Training Lead for Anaesthesia, ICM, Acute and Respiratory Medicine and have led the successful growth of our ACF and ACL programme in ICM and Acute Medicine. I sit on the ICM and Respiratory Training committees and the School of Anaesthesia Board. I am the West Midlands NIHR CRN lead for Respiratory Medicine and have recently been appointed as the Managing Director of the Birmingham NIHR/Wellcome Clinical Research Facility. I am the Deputy Lead of the Birmingham Acute Care Research Collaborative integrating research between the NHS and academia. Nationally I sit on the BTS Critical Care Advisory Group, contributed to the Intensive Care Society commissioned strategy policy, horizon scan for the next 10 years ‘Intensive Care 2020 and Beyond’. I am also a member of the NHSE Ventilated Spinal Cord Injury Task Group.

What would you aim to do if elected to the Board?

I am passionate about representing the diversity of our critical care community and am determined to provide a fresh voice for our workforce and patients to:

  • Ensure the strategy and direction of the Faculty is in alignment of those working on the frontline ensuring equality and diversity and promoting wellbeing, training and dynamic workforce planning for the future.
  • Promote research, education and innovation is embedded and accessible to all to ensure our specialty is future proof for our patients and members.

Further details

Overall principle

  • Board members who cannot keep to the roles and responsibilities below will be asked to stand down.

Board functions: Meetings, emails, papers, due process

  • Board members must attend all meetings of the Board.  Absence should be for exceptional circumstances and discussed with the Dean and Board Secretary.
  • Board members must read papers to be able to engage in discussion at Board meetings.
  • Board members must engage with Board email discussion, including replying to consultation requests and urgent policy decisions.  
  • Board members must be prepared to submit written reports from meetings they attend on the Board’s behalf if they are not able to give an oral report at a Board meeting.
  • Board members must adhere to Board level decisions once taken.
  • Board members tasked with writing papers for the Board should try to provide these at least two weeks before the date of the meeting where it is due to be discussed to ensure other members have the opportunity to read them.

Capacity and conflicts of interest

  • Board members must be prepared to take on additional duties beyond Board meetings, which may include Committee / Working Party membership, representing the FICM on an external group or leading on a piece of work or consultation.  Support will be actively given by the Faculty when trying to negotiate time away with Health Boards and Trusts.
  • Board members must list all actual or potential conflicts of interest and be prepared to relinquish any hats where there is direct conflict or to not take part in discussions where there may be a conflict.
  • Board members should try to limit their non-hospital / non-job plan responsibilities outside the FICM so they have the capacity to take forward FICM work.
  • Board members should try to consult with the Dean before committing to work with external agencies in a personal capacity on matters that may be relevant to the Faculty.

Board members as ambassadors 

  • Board members must act as ambassadors to promote the good standing of the Faculty and the specialty of ICM.
  • Board members must take decisions with the following priority drivers: for the patient, for the profession, for their organisations, and only then for themselves.
  • Board members must be prepared to accept roles offered if they are able to fulfil the role requirements, regardless of their personal interest.  A Board position is not to enable personal self-interest but for the greater good of the specialty and our patients.

Want to know more?
Meet the current Board of the Faculty.