New Appointments to Health Protection Agency Board

2 April 2008

Sir William Stewart, Chairman of the Health Protection Agency announced today the appointment of three new non-executive Board members.  These are:

Dr Barbara Bannister who is currently Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Director of the High-Security Infectious Diseases Unit at the Royal Free Hospital, London.  She is also Civil Consultant to the Royal Air Force.

Since 2003, Dr Bannister has been a Consultant Advisor to the Health Protection Agency and has served on a number of the Agency’s Board Committees.  She has also been a Commissioner on the MHRA Commission for Human Medicines since 2003 and, from 2004, Chairman of the CHM Expert Advisory Group on anti-infectives and HIV medicines as well as Chairman of the European Medicines Agency Scientific Advisory Committee on anti-invectives.  In addition, she has been a member of the MoD Advisory Group on Medical Countermeasures since 1997, and from 1998, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Prevention of Malaria in UK travellers.

Dr Rosemary Leonard, who has been accredited to provide specialist services in Gynaecology in Primary Care since 2004, and specialist services in osteoporosis in Primary Care since 2001, is a GP in Dulwich.  She is also resident GP to BBC Breakfast News, a position she has held since 1998, and is a GP contributor and weekly columnist for the Daily Express.  In addition she is Consultant Medical Editor to Woman and Home magazine (from 1995).  In the past she has been a columnist for the Daily Mail, the Sun, Hello magazine, and Me magazine.  She is the author of the Women’s Everyday Health Guide.

As well as contributing to newspapers and medical magazines, Dr Leonard has also taken part in numerous television and radio programmes and series.  For example she was a co-presenter on BBC 1’s Fighting Fit with the Eastenders and Kicking the Habit with Casualty.  She was also the resident medical expert on Baby Baby, a series of ten programmes by Carlton TV. Since 2006, Dr Leonard has been a member of the Human Genetics Commission, and from 2005 has been a member of the media advisory board to UK Clinical Research Collaboration.

Prof Debby Reynolds was the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer and Director General at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2004 to November 2007.  Prior to that she was Veterinary Director at the Food Standards Agency from 2001-2004, Head of Endemic Animal Diseases and Zoonoses at the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food Veterinary HQ from 1997-2001, and Head of Bacteriology Department at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency from 1994-1997.  She was appointed the first ever Veterinary Head of Profession for all veterinarians in Government.  She was the Government’s chief media spokesman from 2004-7 on national and international veterinary issues and led the Government’s public and stakeholder engagement on these.  In the process she transformed attitudes to food safety in relation to veterinary public health issues by spearheading a strategy to enable effective collaborative working with consumers. 

 

The Board establishes the overall strategic direction of the Health Protection Agency and has corporate responsibility for ensuring the Agency fulfils its aims and objectives.

Sir William Stewart said: “I am delighted to announce these appointments which will significantly strengthen the work of the Agency.  Dr Bannister is a distinguished clinician with substantial experience of high security infectious diseases. Dr Leonard has a well established reputation for communicating to the public on health issues and Prof Reynolds, a scientist and veterinarian, has particular expertise in animal and zoonotic diseases which are of increasing concern in human health. I welcome their appointment and look forward to working closely with them.”

 

Notes to Editors

1.  All non-executive appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public.

2.  The appointments have been made by the Appointments Commission in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice.  All these appointments are for three years.

3.  The three new non-executive Board members do not hold any ministerial appointments.

4. The remuneration for non-executive Board members is currently £7,597 annually.

5.Further information about the HPA Board

6.  For further enquiries please contact the Health Protection Agency press office on 020 8327 7098/7097/6690/6055.

Last reviewed: 24 December 2008