Professor Deborah Bowman MBE, Deputy Principal (Institutional Affairs) and Professor of Bioethics, Clinical Ethics and Medical Law at St George’s, has been appointed university nominated non executive director at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG). The Trust provides national and local mental health services across Richmond, Kingston, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth.
Professor Bowman formally started her new role on 1 January 2019, taking over from Professor Andy Kent, who had been a non executive director with the Trust since 2012. Professor Bowman’s appointment is for a term of two years from 1 January 2019 until 31 December 2020.
As well as her leadership and academic roles at St George’s, Professor Bowman has written widely about medical ethics in both academic and popular publications, including the British Medical Journal, Medical Humanities, Medical Education and The Conversation. She also works as a radio broadcaster, including as a presenter of Test Case and the forthcoming Patient Undone and as a regular panellist and programme consultant to Inside the Ethics Committee, all for BBC Radio 4.
Speaking about her appointment, Professor Bowman said: “It is a pleasure and an honour to join the Trust Board and to have the opportunity to work with an organisation whose purpose and values resonate with me both personally and professionally. The relationship between the University and the Trust is strong, longstanding, valuable and valued. I am looking forward to getting to know the community and those it serves over the coming months.”
Trust chair, Ann Beasley, welcomed Professor Bowman to the Trust, adding: “We are looking forward to working with Deborah at what is a significant time in our local health system. There is a lot of work taking place to become more efficient in our delivery of care and to safeguard services for the future and Deborah’s expertise will be invaluable as we move towards new ways of working.”
In 2017 Professor Bowman was awarded an MBE for services to medical ethics and she is currently chairing the General Medical Council’s review of its consent guidance.