Patron: King Charles III
His Majesty King Charles III graciously accepted Patronage of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund in 2024, after the sad passing of his mother and our former Patron, Queen Elizabeth II. We are extremely grateful for His Majesty’s kind Patronage.
In addition to his official and ceremonial duties in the United Kingdom and overseas as The Prince of Wales, His Majesty has taken a keen and active interest in all areas of public life for decades. The King has worked closely with many organisations, publicly supporting a wide variety of causes relating to the environment, rural communities, the built environment, the arts, healthcare and education.
The RMBF is honoured to have had the Patronage of the reigning monarch since it was first granted to the charity by King George V in 1912.
President: Professor Dame Jane Dacre DBE, MD, FRCP
Dame Jane is a recognised leader in medicine. She is Emeritus Professor of Medical Education, the former Director of UCL Medical School and honorary consultant physician and rheumatologist, at Whittington Health in London. She is the President of the Medical Protection Society and a specialist advisor to parliament on the Health and Social Care Committee, chairing their Expert Panel which evaluates Government pledges. She is past president of the Royal College of Physicians and was also vice chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, medical director of MRCPUK examination, academic vice president of the RCP and a GMC council member. Her research is in medical education focussing on assessment and equality, especially in relation to women.
She was the lead for the Department of Health and Social Care review of the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine, with Professor Carol Woodhams from Surrey University Business School. This review ‘Mend the Gap: The Independent Review into Gender Pay Gaps in Medicine in England’ was published in December 2020. She now chairs the gender pay gap implementation advisory group. Recently, she has been Co-Chair of the Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership, and chaired a review of the Prescribing Safety Assessment for the Medical Schools Council and the British Pharmacological Association.
CEO: Mark Williams
Mark Williams has worked in the charity sector since 2008, leading teams across a range of organisations including Age Concern England, Save the Children and Wimbledon Guild. After serving as Head of Communications and Fundraising at the RMBF, Mark has returned to the organisation as Chief Executive. Passionate about mental health and wellbeing, he is committed to ensuring doctors always know where to turn for support in times of crisis. Mark also serves as a Director of the Merton Chamber of Commerce, supporting and championing the local business community.
Chair: Mr Duncan Bew
Mr Duncan Bew is a Consultant Trauma Surgeon at King’s College Hospital, London. He is a prominent campaigner against violence, and has been involved in the Parliamentary Youth Violence Commission as well as the All-Party Parliamentary Group and Select Committee on Serious Violence. He co-founded the charity Growing Against Violence, which provides age-appropriate education to school children against the dangers of violence and exploitation on the streets and online. He is also co-chair of the youth safety board in Newham. Mr Bew was honoured for his life-saving leadership and care during the 2017 major incidents.
Treasurer & Trustee: Chuka Nwokolo CBE MD FRCP
Professor Chuka Nwokolo CBE is a Consultant Gastroenterologist at University Hospital Coventry and an honorary Professor of Gastroenterology at Warwick Medical School. He has worked as a Consultant Gastroenterologist in Coventry since 1994 and, following partial retirement from the NHS, continues to work part time alongside his ongoing clinical research.
Chuka has held a number of senior roles within the medical profession. He served as Treasurer and Trustee of the Royal College of Physicians from 2017 to 2022, chairing its Finance Board and Investment Advisory Panel, including throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. He was previously Treasurer of the British Society of Gastroenterology and President of the Midlands Gastroenterological Society, as well as the UK representative on the European Board of Gastroenterology.
Throughout his career, Chuka has maintained a strong focus on research and education. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and trained a number of medical registrars in research methodology who went on to complete MDs and PhDs. He also founded the Coventry Colonoscopy Course, helping to develop the skills of clinicians undertaking bowel cancer screening.
In 2021, Chuka was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to the NHS and medical research.
Chair of Grants and Awards Committee & Trustee: Dr Rachael Liebmann OBE
Dr Rachael Liebmann OBE graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1991 and is a past vice President of the Royal College of Pathologists, a specialist breast pathologist at the Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Chief Medical Officer at The Doctors Laboratory and Health Services Laboratories.
As well as holding many senior regional and national roles in the recent past, Dr Liebmann has held roles at the Royal College of Pathologists, and has over 20 years’ experience as an NHS consultant. She has been shortlisted for the National Patient Safety Awards and Health Service Journal Clinical Leader of the Year, and was awarded the College Medal for Distinguished Service.
Dr Liebmann was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2020 in recognition of her services to pathology.
Trustee: Angela Attah
Angela Attah has more than 25 years’ governance experience and has spent much of her career in the NHS, including at Great Ormond Street NHS Foundation Trust, a mental health trust, and several general hospitals. Before joining the NHS she was Head of Central Administration at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
She is currently the Director of Legal and Governance at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), responsible for compliance, risk management, and wider legal and governance issues. She also worked at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as Deputy Company Secretary.
As well as healthcare, Angela is passionate about education and has spent many years as a governor/Vice Chair of local church primary schools, and chaired school admission/exclusion appeals hearings for her local authority. She is currently a member of the Girls Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust in south-west London.
Angela is also a Director on the Board of Love Wimbledon Business Improvement District, and is on the District Church Council of her church, having served as a church warden for many years.
Trustee: Robin Banerji
Robin Banerji is an experienced PR consultant and director of communications. He has advised senior cabinet ministers in Whitehall, plus Chairs and Chief Executives in a range of high-profile organisations. As a consultant, Robin has worked with numerous NHS and charity sector clients on reputation management, brand building, fundraising, marketing and stakeholder engagement.
Robin is also a professional video producer, photographer and multi-media journalist. He has a keen interest in the history and development of visual language and the impact of modern visual communications.
Trustee: Dr Zoë Barron
Dr Zoë Barron is an experienced General Practitioner based in the North East of England. She qualified from the University of Leeds in 2002 and chose a career in General Practice for its variety, continuity of care, and focus on long-term patient relationships.
Following completion of her GP training, Zoë became a partner at her current practice. She is the Training Lead, acting as an Educational Supervisor for GP trainees, teaching medical students, and contributing to research and staff education. She also holds key governance roles as Caldicott Guardian and Clinical Lead for Complaints.
In addition, Zoë is a Training Programme Director for the Durham Tees Valley GP Training Programme, where she provides teaching alongside pastoral and educational support for GP trainees.
Trustee: Dr John Holden
Dr John Holden is the MDDUS’ Chief Medical Officer. John joined MDDUS in 2010, as an experienced medical adviser. He graduated from King’s College London in 1984 and spent a year in the Western Isles as a GP trainee before joining a semi-rural practice in East Sussex in 1991, where he was a GP principal, and latterly the senior partner, for 13 years.
John developed an interest in medico-legal matters whilst still a GP, graduating from the University of Glasgow with the degree of MPhil in Medical Law in 2003. He left his practice in 2004 to work as a full-time medical adviser.
John was previously a Deputy Chief Examiner of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine and was a Vice-President of the Faculty from 2016 to 2019. He was a member of the UK National Screening Committee from 2015 until 2021. He was Head of the Medical Division at MDDUS until February 2021 when he became Chief Medical Officer.
Trustee: Juliet Oliver
Juliet Oliver is Managing Director and Co-founder of a global legal regulation consultancy, Passmore & Oliver Partners, providing strategic regulatory advice to law firms, legal business and investors in the legal market.
This follows over 10 years as General Counsel at the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) – latterly also taking up the role of Deputy Chief Executive. Whilst at the SRA Juliet was responsible for regulatory reform, as well as matters of governance and compliance. She also led the SRA’s investigation, enforcement and legal functions, as well as its dedicated anti-money-laundering directorate. Her work has included developing the SRA’s approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing in the legal profession. Prior to joining the SRA, Juliet was a partner at Fieldfisher where she acted for regulatory bodies across sectors including healthcare and law, building on her previous experience in-house at the General Medical Council, which she joined in 2003.
She is Deputy Chair of the Professional Standards Authority, and previously held the roles of Chair of the Investigation Committee and a Case Examiner at the General Optical Council, member of the Professional Standards Committee of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants as well as the Audit and Risk Committee of the Royal College of General Practitioners. She also spent 10 years as a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health and Disability Committee.
Trustee: Dr Rebecca Salter
Dr Rebecca Salter is a Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, and past Head of Specialty at Imperial College Healthcare Trust. She is also a Consultant Trauma Team Leader at St Mary’s Major Trauma Centre. She has sat on the National Major Trauma and Burns Group representing Paediatric interests.
Additionally Rebecca is the current Director of Student Support at Imperial College School of Medicine, and sits on the Medical School’s Council Welfare Group. She is extensively involved in the provision of welfare support to medical students and has a broad understanding of the changing environment of medical education and the consequent stresses students are facing.
Trustee: Dr Lombe Simpungwe
Dr Lombe Simpungwe is currently an Emergency Medicine (EM) consultant employed by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She works at both St Mary’s Major Trauma Centre and Charing Cross Hospital. Additionally she is the Clinical Lead for Organ Donation for St Mary’s Emergency Department (ED) and the ED liaison consultant for acute oncology services. She has extensive experience in major trauma, urgent and emergency care, Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and organ donation.
Lombe’s educational responsibilities include being an educational and clinical supervisor to ED trainee doctors, Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), trust grade doctors and supervising medical students. She is also an Imperial Trust approved appraiser and coach. Her governance activities include investigating incidents (including serious incidents and level 1 investigations), and responding to complaints.