Psychiatrist Professor Louis Appleby and psychologist Professor Robina Shah from the University of Manchester are to be invested at Buckingham Palace to receive their knighthood and Damehood.
Professor Robina Shah is the Director of the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience. She has been made a Dame for services to Patient Care. Robina is a Chartered Consultant Psychologist and Professor of Psycho-social Medicine and Medical Education in the Division of Medical Education at The University of Manchester Medical School.
She is the lead academic on person-centred education, patient safety, patient, and public involvement in the Division of Medical Education.
Robina is passionate about giving patients, carers and families a voice through active partnership. She is also a powerful advocate of psychosocial medicine and committed to patient and public involvement.
Over two decades, Robina has shared her teaching expertise in this area to challenge the focus of medical education from a biomedical model of disease to one that accommodates the psychological, social, and behavioural dimensions of illness.
She said: “I feel very humbled and privileged to receive this accolade and I would like to convey a heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported my life’s journey; especially, the contribution of patients, carers, service users and colleagues.”
Professor Louis Appleby was knighted for his services to medicine and mental health. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University and Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group.
Prof Appleby leads the Centre for Mental Health and Safety, investigating suicide and self-harm, the largest research unit in this field internationally.
Its findings have been the basis of Government policy on suicide prevention and are widely quoted by governments, professionals and charities.
From 2000-2010 he was seconded as the Government’s National Director for Mental Health to lead a national programme of reform in mental health care in England and from 2010-2014 he was National Clinical Director for Health and Criminal Justice.
From 2013-2019 he was a non-executive director of the Care Quality Commission, the NHS regulator.
Louis was the author of England’s first national suicide prevention strategy and continues to co-chair (with a health minister) the Government’s advisory group on suicide prevention.
He has written reports on suicide prevention after the Grenfell fire for the NHS and on doctors facing investigation for the GMC.
He said: “My award recognises the work of many outstanding colleagues over the years – researchers, NHS staff, campaigning families. It shows how important suicide prevention has become and how much it now matters to society, to all of us.
