Professor Peter Fonagy appointed to independent UK Parliament Expert Panel
Professor Peter Fonagy OBE, Programme Director for our Mental Health and Behaviour Change programme, has been appointed as a mental health specialist member on an independent UK Parliament Expert Panel.
The Health and Social Care Committee has commissioned its Expert Panel to evaluate the Government’s progress against its pledges to improve mental health services in England. They have invited Professor Fonagy and three other leading mental health specialists to play a key role in evaluating and shaping the country’s mental health policy.
Professor Fonagy leads the ARC North Thames mental health team and is Head of the Division of Psychology & Language Sciences at University College London (UCL), in addition to his role at UCLPartners. He has received a number of lifetime achievement awards for his pioneering work in psychology, and was the first UK recipient of the Wiley Prize of the British Academy for Outstanding Achievements in Psychology by an international scholar in 2015. He has previously held numerous national leadership positions to guide development of mental health policies, particularly in support of children’s wellbeing. He is also Chief Executive of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
On the new appointment, Professor Fonagy said: “Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability in the UK. The focus of the Health Select Committee of successive governments’ performance in this area is most welcome, both to celebrate undoubted successes and to draw attention to areas where further investment and effort is needed. Approaching this question in a scientific way based on clinical and research evidence is also to be greatly welcomed as a significant step towards evidence based policy making.”
Professor Steve Thornton, Interim Managing Director, UCLPartners, said: “I would like to congratulate Professor Fonagy on his appointment to the UK Parliament Expert Panel, which recognises his immense contribution and achievements in the field of mental health. Improving mental health outcomes for our population is a key priority for UCLPartners, and it’s fantastic that our Programme Director Professor Fonagy will play a key role in shaping and influencing national policy.”