We’re delighted to announce that our soon to be demitting President, Dr Eddie Morris will be taking up a new position as Regional Medical Director for the East of England.
Dr Morris has combined his presidency with a clinical role as Consultant Gynaecologist in Norwich. He took up his consultant post in 2001 and as an honorary senior lecturer at Norfolk Medical School he helped devise the obstetric and gynaecology curriculum. He also set up the first specialist endometriosis centre in the area which helped transform provision.
He was elected RCOG President in 2019 and his tenure included one of the most crucial in the College’s history as he dealt with the uncertainty of the pandemic, oversaw the College’s response to the Ockenden review, prioritised women’s health inequalities and led calls for more workforce investment to ensure safe staffing.
His particular focus on inequalities led to the creation of the Race Equality Taskforce (RET), bringing together experts to guide the RCOG’s work on addressing persistent disparities in women’s health, and to look at race and inequality in the work of the College and the O&G profession. He continued to champion College efforts to improve maternity care with innovative programmes including the Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth collaboration and the development of a clinical decision support tool by the Tommy’s National Centre for Maternity Improvement prioritised under his Presidency.
RCOG CEO Kate Lancaster said; “Eddie steered the College with clear, calm leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided expert leadership to the College together with advice and guidance to women, clinicians and Government at a time of great national challenge.
“I have no doubt that he will bring his strategic thinking and leadership to his new role and will be an asset to them as they address some of the challenges in the NHS."
Dr Eddie Morris said; “I’m proud to have served the College and I look back at my time with a sense of pride that we have tackled some of the hardest issues, to improve the health women and girls here in the UK, and globally. Addressing health inequalities was one of my dearest wishes, and I’m certain the work I started will be continued. I believe the reforms we’ve made in training will strengthen over time, we’ve made great strides in improving how we work together and put patients’ needs at the heart of the work we do.”
Eddie leaves the College in December and will be succeeded by Dr Ranee Thakar
ENDS