Systemic racism in healthcare: What can psychiatry do?

Dr Shubulade (aka Lade) Smith is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London.  She graduated in Medicine from Guy’s Hospital Medical School, London, winning prizes in Psychological Medicine. After training in psychiatry at the Maudsley, she completed a Research Fellowship in antipsychotic side effects, supervised by Professor Sir Robin Murray.  She  subsequently set up a joint medication review/physical health clinic, a “one stop shop” aimed at health promotion and management of physical problems in people with SMI, leading to her being nominated as a “Woman of the Year” and a BMA Pioneer award for innovation in psychiatry. Having trained in general psychiatry, she is now a forensic psychiatrist. She is the Lead for the Acute Forensic Pathway of the South London Partnership and Clinical Director of the Forensic Services at SLaM. She is also the Clinical Director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, providing medical leadership for the team developing mental health guidelines. She sat on the core working group of the Independent Mental Health Act Review, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely and was responsible for some of the key recommendations, including those for patients with forensic issues. Recommendations aimed at improving outcomes for Black people with mental health problems have now been taken up by the government. Dr Smith was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2019 for services to Forensic Intensive Psychiatric care. In November 2019 she was awarded Psychiatrist of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Dr Raj Mohan is a consultant in Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry and works at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, in London. He completed his medical school in India where he specialised in Psychiatry, before coming to the UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal College and is the current Chair of the Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry Faculty of the Royal College. Along with his Faculty chair role, he is a member of the RCPsych Council. In 2020, he was appointed as one of the two presidential leads for Race and Equality (along with Dr Lade Smith) at the RCPsych. He is tasked with developing a College Strategy to further equality and Equity initiatives for the College: for its staff, all its members & trainees and for wider mental health services, patients and carers. Dr Mohan teaches medical students at Kings College and campaigns for better funding for mental health services, equality, and social justice. He is a firm believer in integrated care approaches and person centred psychiatry.