Dame Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard qualified in Medicine from St George’s in 1996. Having initially contemplated a career in obstetrics and gynaecology, she undertook a conversion to academic primary care and joined the University of Birmingham in 2000 as an academic GP registrar. Having successfully completed her GP training, she took up the offer of a post as a part-time principal at The Cloisters Medical Practice immediately after qualifying. At the same time, she started at the University of Birmingham as an academic fellow.
Dame Helen is now GP Principal in Lichfield, Professor of GP Education at the University of Birmingham and Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing. She was elected as Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in 2020.
Research and leadership
Dame Helen has had a broad academic career; she has a PhD in Epidemiology and led a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-accredited clinical research unit. She has also acted as interim Head of department and Head of GP Training at the University of Birmingham. Helen has led on a number of national reports, including stating a new ‘Vision for the Future of General Practice’, and her personal research programme led to a substantive change in the national cervical cancer screening programme.
Dame Helen has undertaken a number of national positions of responsibility, including the National Exceptional Pressures Panel, the NHS England Net Zero Panel and the NHS England Assembly. She was Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners 2016-2019 serving as one of the most influential General Practitioners in the UK. In her role as Chair she achieved notable success in rebuilding high level alliances as well as nurturing others, positively influencing policy around the NHS Long Term Plan and subsequent GP Contract in England.
Dame Helen was elected to be Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges from July 2020-2023, an umbrella organisation representing all clinical disciplines throughout the four nations of the UK.
Dame Helen enjoys public speaking, having spoken at over 250 events to date, including public lectures, conference plenaries and panel debates. She has also made over 350 broadcast media appearances, including multiple appearances on the BBC.