19 December 2024
Dr Jayne McLaren, Emergency Medicine Consultant at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, has been elected as the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s new Vice Chair for Scotland.
It comes after eligible members cast their votes in the election, hosted by Civica on behalf of the College, which closed at midday today (18 December 2024).
Dr McLaren will support our new Vice President Scotland, Dr Fiona Hunter, when Dr John-Paul Loughrey’s term in the VP role concludes in Spring next year.
The Vice Chair plays a vital role in representing members in Scotland and the Emergency Medicine specialty.
Along with the Vice President, Dr McLaren will meet with policy makers to influence Scottish Government and NHS Scotland and make sure that Emergency Care is high on their agenda.
She will work to strengthen the College’s ability to flag challenges faced by emergency departments in the nation and beyond, improving patient care and the working lives of members.
Since June 2023, Dr McLaren has also held the position of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Scotland Board Representative for the West of Scotland.
Dr McLaren said: “I am really grateful to everyone who voted in this election.
“I look forward to working alongside Fiona to advocate for our members and their colleagues, as well as our patients, in Scotland – continuing the incredible work of John-Paul.
“Emergency Medicine in recent years has been extremely challenging and we will continue to have difficult times ahead. Having lots of voices around the table, that are standing up and speaking for our speciality, is key in making sure we are heard nationally and across the UK.
“Where I work locally, we are focused on staff wellbeing and this is an incredibly important to me personally, in my role as an Emergency Medicine consultant. In the coming years, I hope to share and expand this work through my new role as Vice Chair to improve staff morale, which can have a great impact on service delivery in each department.
“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr Krishna Murthy, who was an excellent candidate in this election. He brings invaluable insights and ideas in his role as RCEM Scotland Board Rep for the South East of Scotland and I look forward to working together to address the challenges in Urgent and Emergency Care.”
Dr Fiona Hunter, incoming Vice President of Scotland said, “On behalf of the College and our members, I would like to send our congratulations to Jayne on her new role as Vice Chair Scotland. I look forward to working closely with her to drive meaningful change in Urgent and Emergency Care.
“And to our eligible members who participated in the election process – thank you for taking the time to vote.”
The Vice Chair acts as a deputy to the Vice President role and will succeed Fiona after a three-year term; while the Vice President is a VP role to the national Presidents and sit on RCEM’s wider elected Council, representing Scotland.
