AMRC announces new Chair

The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) has announced that Baroness Cumberlege CBE DL will be its new chair. Baroness Cumberlege is an active life peer in the House of Lords with extensive health sector experience. She was a junior health minister from 1992 to 1997, covering all health and social services matters in the House of Lords, and a member of the NHS policy board between 1989 and 1997. Julia is a co-Chair of the Associate Parliamentary Health Group, and the All Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group and secretary of the Dying Well Parliamentary Group. She served on the select committee reviewing the Draft Mental Health Bill and the select committee examining the issues surrounding Stem Cell Research and Cloning. Julia Cumberlege is a Vice President of the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, a Senior Associate of the King's Fund, and a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Physicians, where she is chair of their Working Party on Future Patient, Future Doctor. In 2001 Julia founded Cumberlege Connections Ltd., designing and running training and leadership programmes for the health sector. From 2000 until 2006 Julia chaired St George's, University of London, a medical school in South West London, and was awarded an honorary degree from the University of London in 2006. Baroness Cumberlege is a Trustee of Cancer Research UK and a member of the Ethics Committee of Dr Foster Intelligence, but will be retiring from both posts in December of this year to allow time to devote to her new role at the AMRC. Julia has been commissioned by two Governments to produce two national reports. The first, 'Neighbourhood Nursing - a Focus for Care' championed nurse prescribing, which has since been rolled out nationally. The second, 'Changing Childbirth' has had a fundamental effect on the way maternity services are organised and delivered. In 2004 at the invitation of the Royal College of Physicians, Julia chaired a working party to study Medical Professionalism. The report 'Doctors in Society' was published in December 2005. Baroness Cumberlege is looking forward to joining AMRC: "I am delighted to be taking on this role. AMRC plays a crucial role in ensuring medical research charities adhere to the highest standards in their research funding activities, and in representing the sector's concerns to Government and other agencies. I hope to continue the excellent stewardship of the Association shown by my predecessor Dame Bridget Ogilvie, which has seen AMRC become the sector's leading voice on medical and health research matters." In welcoming her appointment, Chief Executive Simon Denegri said: "Julia joins us at an exciting time. AMRC has recently embarked on an ambitious new Strategic Plan focused on supporting member charities, providing sector leadership and influencing Government. Her background in health policy and her experience and knowledge across many sectors will be invaluable in steering the Association through the challenges ahead."