Our Medical Directorate is led by Dr Abid Khan (Chief Medical Officer) who is supported by 9 Associate Medical Directors, each responsible for a different portfolio of work. Operational support is provided to Dr Khan by the Senior Manager for the Medical Directorate.
Research & Innovation, and the Pharmacy & Medicines Optimisation departments also fall under the remit of the Medical Directorate, in addition to the Education Programme for undergraduate and postgraduate trainees. College Tutors, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Tutors, the Specialist and Associate Specialist Tutor, and the Director of Education all support the training programme.
The Medical Staffing team ensure that the Trust has the correct number of appropriately trained and qualified medical staff in post to provide an effective and safe clinical service to our service users.
Library & Knowledge Services strives to provide all staff and teams with access to the information and knowledge they need to carry out their work.
Finally, the Trust's Chief Clinical Information Officer works under the Medical Directorate's umbrella. This role is responsible for the clinical leadership within the Trust's digital transformation agenda, and works to use technology to improve the working lives of staff and outcomes for patients.
For any enquiries relating to the Medical Directorate, please e-mail lisa.collins@mpft.nhs.uk (Business Support Manager to the Medical Directorate).
Dr Abid Khan, Chief Medical Officer
Dr Abid Khan is the Chief Medical Officer of Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. He is responsible for the professional leadership of all doctors employed within the Trust. He is the designated Responsible Officer for the purpose of revalidation by the General Medical Council (GMC) for doctors and is the Trust Caldicott Guardian for information governance purposes.
In addition to training medical students, junior doctors and peer students Abid is committed to training non-medical prescribers and the development of enhanced skills in other professionals.
Abid oversees the Research and Innovation Department and the Pharmacy services in this context and is Lead for the Medicines Optimisation Committee (MOC) that oversees prescribing practices and prescribing issues for our Trust in collaboration with community pharmacists.
Abid is supported by a Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Nine Associate Medical Directors.
Dr Jayanth Srinivas, Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Dr Jayanth Srinivas commenced in post as Deputy Chief Medical Officer in February 2022. This new role will involve him deputising for Dr Abid Khan, Chief Medical Officer and representing him at Integrated Care System forms such as the Clinical Senate. He will also support medical leaders in the care groups.
Prior to becoming Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Srinivas has previously been a Clinical Director of Mental Health at NHSE/I, West Midlands, Clinical Director of Forensic Services at MPFT, where he was involved in setting up a Provider Collaborative across West Midlands. He has also held other portfolios within the Medical Directorate including being Associate Medical Director for Appraisal and Revalidation and Quality Improvement and the Mental Health Act (MHA). He is currently the Regional Advisor for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, West Midlands division.
Dr Muhammad Gul
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Accreditation of Trainers - Focus on CAMHS Mental Health / Director of Medical Education
Dr Muhammad Gul holds the portfolio for Accreditation of Trainers with a focus on CAMHS Mental Health. Over the last few years he has represented the directorate at different forums to ensure the Trust continues to provide evidence based quality care across all of its services.
As Director of Medical Education, Dr Gul has been working closely with Health Education England (HEE) and other partners in education to provide an environment which is conducive to education and training. The Trust has expanded its education and training portfolio in the recent past, offering training opportunities to more than 85 trainee doctors, Physician Associates from different Universities, as well as from the USA and medical students from Keele.
Dr Amit Arora,
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Intermediate Care
Dr Amit Arora is a nationally recognised and multi-award winning geriatrician. He joined the Trust in October 2018 as Associate Medical Director for Intermediate Care with the aim to develop community frailty and intermediate care services across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and working collaboratively with the system partners to improve services.
He uses his experience in developing effective intermediate care services by collaborative working blurring the traditional boundaries between primary care, secondary care, ambulance services, social care, voluntary organisations, and housing agencies.
As the founding Director of the National Frailty Academy, he is keenly involved in workforce development. He also takes part in MPFT Quality Governance, Mortality meetings, Business Development, Research and a few other workstreams for MPFT including the development of Long Covid services and ICS wide Frailty Strategy.
Through his various roles of Clinical Director for Emergency Care Improvement Support Team, NHSI/E, Vice-President of British Geriatrics Society, and his roles in the NIHR and various national working groups and advisory bodies, he brings the wider national experience to the Trust.
Dr Jonathan Packham
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Leadership in Physical Health with Focus on MSK and related specialities
Dr Jonathan Packham is the Associate Medical Director for Leadership in Physical Health with a focus on Musculoskeletal and related specialities for the Trust. He provides medical leadership across the Trust, collaborating closely with both the Chief Medical Officer and the Director of Research and Innovation to ensure that research and innovation are core activities.
Dr Zafar Iqbal
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Public Health
The three domains of Public Health are Health Protection, Health Improvement and Health Care Public Health. Professor Zafar Iqbal is an experienced Public Health Consultant in all three domains and has held local Director of Public Health positions in his previous roles. Public Health is delivered by thousands of MPFT staff every day and this is recognised in the Trust Health and Wellbeing Strategy which he leads on. He supports many aspects of the Trusts work in promoting the Public Health of its workforce, patients and the local communities the Trust serves.
He provides support to the Chief Medical Officer in engaging local clinical leaders, Local Authorities and other partners. He also uses his expertise in epidemiology to support the Trusts strategy function, work on health inequalities and service development in Care Groups. He also has local system leadership roles on behalf of the Trust. Zafar has built a strong Public Health training function within the Trust.
He is a visiting Professor at Staffordshire University and holds two international Honorary Professorships. He has a number of national roles including being a member of the Faculty of Public Health Global Health Committee.
Dr Lisa Goodall
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Leadership and Research / Innovation - Focus on Sexual Health
Dr Lisa Goodall was appointed to the role of Associate Medical Director for Leadership and Research Innovation, with a focus on Sexual Health in 2018. In this role she provides clinical leadership in Sexual Health across the Trust and promotes involvement in research, innovation and audit across all of the Sexual Health teams.
Lisa also supports the AMD for Doctors with Concerns and is the Freedom to Speak Up representative for the medical directorate.
Dr Rano Bhadoria
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Appraisal and Medical Job Planning
Dr Rano Bhadoria is a Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry in South Staffordshire. She has worked in the Trust since 2010. Since December 2019 she has been the Associate Medical Director for Appraisals and Medical Job Planning. In 2020 she led on the implementation of a new electronic system of annual job planning for doctors and remains closely involved in the future development of this system. She works closely with Dr Khan, the Chief Medical Officer / Responsible Officer, along with Medical Staffing to ensure cohesion between the governance and structures for Appraisals, Revalidation & Job Planning in the Trust.
As part of her role, she also delivers annual training sessions to provide updates on appraisals and job planning to both doctors and managers.
Dr Rashi Negi
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Quality Improvement and Mental Health Act
Dr Rashi Negi holds the portfolio for Quality Improvement and Mental Health Act and started in post on the 1st March 2022. Quality, for Rashi, is something that she has always believed in, and she sees it as a 'habit, not an act'. She has led, contributed and successfully completed many Quality Improvement (QI) projects over the years and hopes to bring this experience to her new role, and to influence, engage and inspire her medical colleagues to take up these initiatives and help them to embed these into their day to day practice.
During the first 12 months in this new role, Rashi hopes to take a few initial steps by setting up a few focus groups with the help of her enthusiastic colleagues, where open discussion about quality initiatives can take place. This will give them an opportunity to explore ideas and set up some realistic outcomes, which would be a first step. Rashi hopes to build on this work further by exploring other initiative tools, such as quality dashboards, forums etc. Her aim is to triangulate QI's to appraisals, job planning, and service line objectives in order to fully embed them into our clinical practice.
Rashi will continue to undertake the role of College Tutor - South Staffs until this post is backfilled.
Dr Kieran Fernando
Associate Medical Director (AMD) - Doctors with Concerns
I have been a Consultant in Sexual Health & HIV Medicine in MPFT (formerly SSOTP) since 2013. I have also had a lead tutor / governance role for the MPFT physical health specialties contributing to the education strategy 2016 - 2022.
I took up my new role as AMD - Doctors with Concerns on 1 March 2022. I am keen to ensure we have impartial and fair processes which also support and protect both those raising concerns and those subject to investigation. My role will include liaising with partner organisations, including the Practitioner Performance Advice (PPA) service, and the GMC / GDC to ensure MPFT is managing investigations appropriately.
In my first 12 months in post, I would like to achieve the following:
To continue to maintain and optimise standards in investigative processes
To offer training for new case investigators and refresher training for existing ones
To formalise and facilitate links with relevant support agencies for practitioners undergoing investigation e.g. mental health / psychosocial and financial (both NHS and charitable organisations).
By monitoring and reporting on recurrent themes we will look to identify learning opportunities for the organisation and preventative approaches.
Dr Faisal Awan
Associate Medical Director for Primary Care
Dr Faisal Awan is the Associate Medical Director for Primary Care within the Trust. He currently works one day a week for the Trust to provide professional and medical leadership under the direction of Dr Khan.
Faisal is a GP partner and trainer by background. He is confident that he will have a chance to develop his professional skills whilst working with other colleagues within MPFT and will try to bridge the gap between various teams in primary and secondary care. He also intends to develop his leadership skills during his time at the Trust because MPFT is one of the best places to do this.
Dr Matthew Tovey
Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO)
Dr Matthew Tovey qualified from the University of Nottingham Medical School in 2008, before undertaking his Foundation Years and deciding to undertake specialist training in psychiatry, and ultimately forensic psychiatry. He was appointed as a Consultant in 2016, and in 2018 was appointed as the medical lead for prison psychiatry. Matthew is passionate about improving the quality of mental healthcare, particularly in prisons and is a strong believer that staff wellbeing must be at the fore to achieve this.
Dr Tovey is responsible for the clinical leadership within the Trust's digital transformation agenda and is passionate about the use of technology to improve the working lives of staff and outcomes for patients.
Ben Hollands
Health and Wellbeing Strategy Manager
Ben Hollands is the Trust's Health and Wellbeing Strategy Implementation Manager. He is responsible for working across the Care Groups to achieve the objectives and ambitions set out in the Trust's Health and Wellbeing Strategy, particularly in relation to improving outcomes for patients, service users and their communities through healthier behaviours and better lifestyle choices.
In addition to the public health aspects of the Trusts strategy Ben will support work in relation staff health and wellbeing.
Dr Rob Dennis is the lead clinician for the Eating Disorders Service. The service offers inpatient and out patient treatment to people suffering from Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
Dr Dennis also acts as the undergraduate lead for education, Stafford site. He takes overall responsibility for the pastoral care and delivery of the Keele curriculum to Year 4 medical students whilst they are on their psychiatry placement. This includes ensuring that students learning objectives are met through a range of seminars, workshops, and clinical 'bedside' teaching.
Dr Rajesh Sulake
Undergraduate Tutor - Shropshire
Dr Rajesh Sulake has worked for the Trust since 2006. He has worked across both Shropshire and Staffordshire. He is currently based at Pine Ward, Redwoods Centre working as the Responsible Clinician since November 2016. Pine Ward is the only female acute psychiatric ward across the Trust.
Dr Sulake has been working as an Undergraduate Tutor (Honorary Clinical Lecturer) at Keele University for the last 3 years. He is one of the medical appraisers, is keen on teaching, and one of the designated medical practitioners for training NMP's. He is a keen photographer.
Dr Nick Swift
Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) Tutor
Dr Nick Swift has been an Associate Specialist in adult psychiatry from 2004. He is based in South Shropshire. Nick is the SAS Tutor, helping the Staff and Associate Specialist doctors develop as educators, leaders, and highly valued members of the medical workforce. The Trust values this group of doctors with a wide diversity of experience and skills.
Nick has a special interest in postgraduate medical education and occupational health issues. He is also trustee of a charity providing education and development in rural Africa.
Dr Abhinav Rastogi
College Tutor for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
Abhinav is a Consultant in General Adult psychiatry for Telford Community Intervention Pathway. As the College Tutor for Shropshire, he is involved in delivering high quality postgraduate training to junior doctors placed in the region. He is also a Support Tutor for the Keele Medical School and is a CASC examiner for the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Dr Ravinder Hayer
College Tutor - South Staffordshire
Dr Ravinder Hayer is a Consultant in Older Adult Psychiatry for the Burton and Uttoxeter locality within East Staffordshire.
As College Tutor in Psychiatry for Staffordshire, Ravinder is responsible for the development and delivery of high quality Core Psychiatry, Foundation Programme, and General Practice training placements in this region.
Ravinder also leads the ‘Introduction to Psychiatry’ module for the Keele Cluster Core Psychiatry programme and supports with the organisation and delivery of the West Midlands School of Psychiatry Leadership course.
Dr Vinod Kumar
Medical Education Locality Lead for Leicester Sexual Health
Dr Vinod Kumar (MBBS, PhD, MFSRH, PGA, DipGUM), consultant in Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, has been appointed as the medical education locality lead for Leicester sexual health. In this role, he aims to work in collaboration to develop, co-ordinate and deliver high quality teaching and training to medical students and postgraduate trainees.
He has been working as a consultant at MPFT providing sexual health care across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) since 2015.
Dr Kumar is a member of the Examination Committee of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). He is also a FSRH and BASHH registered trainer and regularly delivers FSRH Diploma, Letter of Competence and STIF competency training.
Dr Imran Piracha
College Tutor for GP and Foundation Doctors
I am a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist at Hatherton Centre. I have been working with the Trust since 2018.
I was appointed to the newly created post of College Tutor for Foundation Programme and General Practice trainees across Staffordshire and Shropshire in November 2023.
I have been working on establishing liaison and networking with colleagues at the Postgraduate School and NHSE Education & Training to develop an in-depth understanding of the required standards for delivery of medication education, and to ensure that Trust's "educational climate" and strategic direction reflect the local and national educational and training initiatives.
I have also been focused on improving the learning and clinical experience of Foundation and GP trainees whilst they are working at MPFT.
Dr Rohit Renjhen
Portfolio Pathway Tutor
Dr Renjhen has been a consultant for older adults in MPFT since 2013. He completed his Masters in Medical Law & Ethics in 2018 and has been a trainer for mental capacity assessment in dementia for the Trust.
Dr Renjhen works closely with the GMC in the capacity of a PLAB examiner and a GMC Associate. In this role he assesses CESR / portfolio applications for general and old age psychiatry independently and as part of a panel. He also contributes towards GMC's induction of new CESR evaluators.
In his role current role as the Portfolio Pathway lead for the Trust, he intends to develop a culture to support recruitment and retention of medical workforce. He aims to develop a programme that addresses needs of suitably qualified SAS workforce, Associates, Locum Consultants, and International Medical Graduates who wish to take up substantive posts in the Trust. This would be achieved by developing a structured scheme which provides the suitably qualified doctors to develop the specialist competencies required to submit an application to the GMC.
Dr Rahul Chandavarkar
SAS Advocate
Dr Rahul Chandavarkar came to work with MPFT as a ST6 trainee in 2017. He has been an Inpatient Consultant Psychiatrist based at The Redwoods centre in Shrewsbury since 2018.
Dr Chandavarkar is very passionate about his new role as the MPFT Advocate for SAS doctors. He has been supporting our newly recruited international medical graduates and is keen to support SAS colleagues aspiring to become Consultants via the portfolio pathway / CESR pathway.
Dr Chandavarkar is a keen teacher and trainer. He is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer with Keele University and is actively involved in teaching medical students and is an OCSE examiner. He was recently elected as a Staff Governor (Medical), has been actively involved in RCPsych activities and has also been the Public engagement officer for the West Midlands Division for RCPsych.
Dr Anita Suthanthira-Singh
Physical Health - Postgraduate Lead Tutor
Dr Anita Suthanthira-Singh is a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine based at the North Staffordshire Rehabilitation Centre at Haywood Hospital since 2016. She has a special interest in Medical Education and holds a postgraduate diploma degree in Medical Education from Keele University. She is passionate about working with the wider team to ensure that the learning environment provided at MPFT meets the expectations of the training programme and MPFT continues to be a centre of excellence for providing postgraduate training.
Dr Andrew Campbell
Director of Pharmacy & Medicines Optimisation
Andrew Campbell is the Director of Pharmacy & Medicines Optimisation (Chief Pharmacist). Andrew leads and manages the Trust pharmacy services as well as three dispensaries. He is responsible for the strategic leadership in medicines optimisation and oversees the development and implementation of medicines-related Trust policies, procedures and guidance. Andrew is also responsible for assuring compliance with local and national drivers such as CQC-related standards of best practice in relation to the management of medicines.
Ruth Lambley-Burke
Director of Research and Innovation / Associate Director of Medical Directorate Operations
Ruth Lambley-Burke is the Director of Research and Innovation for MPFT, where she provides leadership and is responsible for developing the Trust's vision for research and implementing the Trust strategy. Drawing upon her 20 years' experience and expertise in Research, Ruth ensures that research thrives across the NHS, academic and industry sectors, and is active in developing partnerships and collaborations to enable easier, faster research delivered and disseminated across the NHS and health and social care systems.
Ruth also provides direct senior management support to the Chief Medical Officer, building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, senior staff management, budget management, HR and other managerial aspects of the medical directorate. She holds portfolio responsibility for research, medical education, and Library & Knowledge Services.
Lisa Collins
Business Support Manager to the Medical Directorate
Lisa Collins works within the Medical Directorate Team supporting the delivery of service improvement projects, working with and supporting colleagues.
She provides effective administrative support, supports project management and ensures project governance is embedded and maintained. Her administrative duties include the co-ordination of report submissions from the Chief Medical Officer's office.
Executive Assistant to the Chief Medical Officer and Chief People Officer
Helena joined the Trust in September 2017 to work as an Executive Assistant to the Chief People Officer. In addition to this role, since May 2024, Helena provides support to the Chief Medical Officer by co-ordinating and organising his diary, arranging meetings, and managing his email inbox.
Helen Venables
Office Administrator / Secretarial Support - Medical Directorate
Helen Venables works within the Medical Directorate Team providing secretarial support to the Associate Medical Directors of Public Health, Intermediate care and Primary care. Helen provides effective and efficient secretarial support ensuring the smooth running of AMD's diaries and coordination of all administrative projects and tasks assigned to her.
Dr Shazab Islam
BMA LNC Representative
Dr Shazab Islam joined the Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in August 2024 as a Psychiatry trainee. Dr Islam has recently been appointed as LNC Representative and is accredited by the BMA. He will attend LNC/LNP and Resident Doctor Forums to represent the Doctors in Training.
Dr Elizabeth Keeper
Staffordshire Representative
I joined the Core Psychiatry Training Programme in August 2023, directly from the foundation programme and I am excited to be elected as the Core Trainee Representative for Staffordshire. I have always had a passion for psychiatry and am eager to bring fresh ideas to enhance our training experience.
I look forward to representing the ideas, opinions and values of my fellow trainees and working together to create a supportive and inspiring environment for everyone.
Dr Naeem Ali
Staffordshire Representative
Hello, I'm Naeem. I'm currently in CT2 and joined MPFT for Core Psychiatry Training in August 2023. I've also had prior experience with MPFT through working a Foundation Year 2 rotation in one of the acute inpatient wards at St George's. I'm thankful to have been appointed as one of the Doctors-in-Training representatives for the Stafford side. I look forward to work alongside fellow trainees and faculty to address concerns and hopefully improve our conditions as trainees.
Dr Suleman Patel
Shropshire Representative
Suleman A. H. Patel is an international medical graduate. He is second-year Psychiatry Core Trainee, having joined the Trust in August 2023. He brings seven years of diverse medical experience, he has worked in Radiology and General Surgery, Urgent Care and Concierge medicine in Barbados. Dr Patel is dedicated to enhancing patient care and medical education, with a strong focus on advocacy and leadership. Beyond clinical practice, Dr Patel has contributed to medical education by teaching first-year medical students at Ross University School of Medicine. As a representative for Resident Doctors in training, his focus is on supporting trainee doctors and enhancing their training environment.
Dr Chinaza Uguru
Shropshire Representative
Dr Chinaza Amarachi Uguru joined the Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in August 2023 as a psychiatry core trainee. She has recently been appointed CT doctors’ representative for Shropshire and she is eager to collaborate with her colleagues to seek solutions to the concerns of resident doctors working in MPFT Shropshire.
Louise Pope
Medical Staffing Manager
Louise Pope leads the Medical Staffing team within the Trust, which ensures that the Trust has the correct number of appropriate trained and qualified medical staff in post to provide effective and safe clinical services to our service users.
A few of the teams key roles include supporting the recruitment process for medics, sourcing locum medical staff, coordinating the rotation of junior medical staff 4 times a year along with production of their rotas, administration of the Trust's appraisal, revalidation, and job processes, recording sickness and advising on annual leave entitlements.
Louise and her colleagues provide support and advice to all medical colleagues within the Trust around terms and conditions of service, contract and pay queries.
Siân Shingler
Medical Education Service Lead
Siân Shingler joined the trust in May 2022. Siân's role is to shine a light on medical education at MPFT in collaboration with multidisciplinary education providers. Siân is working closely with the Director of Medical Education and Head of Research and Innovation to develop the medical education strategy in line with the Trust's vision. She also works alongside SAS, postgraduate and undergraduate clinical tutors to ensure effective delivery of medical education and supervision of SAS doctors, postgraduate trainees, medical students and Physician's associates, whilst leading the medical education administration team. Siân also works closely with the medical staffing team.
Caroline Simmons
HR Manager
Caroline Simmons is a HR Manager within the Trust, working with the Medical Directorate, the Quality and Clinical Performance Directorate, and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Unplanned Care Group. She leads the provision of an operational and business-focussed HR service to these groups providing expert and dedicated operational HR support.
She manages and leads elements of the Operational HR function and is responsible for supporting the delivery of key projects in the Workforce Strategy, working collaboratively and in partnership. Caroline provides highly specialist and professional HR advice and coaching support to managers within the Trust.
In her role she will propose changes to and implement Trust HR policies and interpret employment legislation and case law and implement the required changes to Trust wide practices as required.
Claire Charnley
Library and Knowledge Services Manager
Claire has led and managed the Trust Library and Knowledge Services for more than ten years, and has managed library services in community and mental health organisations for over 20 years. The library service's vision is ‘Connecting knowledge and people, Informing outstanding care, Enabling innovation and learning’.
Most library services are now virtual but the service has physical library sites at St. George's and Redwoods. It provides a range of specialist library services while also collaborating with other Trust teams to promote evidence-based practice and access to high quality resources beyond the library. It works closely with other health libraries in the West Midlands and beyond.
