Regional councils

BMA regional councils provide regional representation for all BMA members. Find out more about all our regional councils, check the details for your area and how to get involved. 

Location: England
Audience: All doctors
Updated: Monday 9 December 2024
Voting card article illustration

BMA regional councils provide a focus for BMA activity at a regional level, delivering BMA policy and providing a communication link with BMA UK council.

They bring together all BMA members across all branches of practice in each region to have a say on issues that concern them.

 

The role of regional coordinators

Each regional council is supported by a regional coordinator, who is a member of the executive. The regional coordinator’s role is to:

  • develop links with the NHS structures, LMCs (local medical committees), MPs, local authorities and other health bodies and relevant stakeholders across the regional council area
  • maximise each regional council's influence on decisions that affect the professional lives of BMA members in that region
  • support the development of the regional council and facilitate cross branch of practice debate
  • strengthen liaison between the BMA divisions, regional branch of practice committees, members and staff across the region and the central departments within the BMA.

 

Regional council elections

East Midlands

BMA EMRC (East Midlands regional council) covers the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (but not North and North East Lincolnshire) Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. 

Our people

The EMRC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in the East Midlands, as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair – Kalindi K Tumurugoti 
Co deputy chairs – Alice Ogunji , Andrew Borges-Wong 
Honorary Secretary – Mohammed Rafe Hussain 
Head of Region – Jim Stringer 

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the East Midlands region.

Get in touch with EMRC

Email the East Midlands region
Head of region - Jim Stringer
Telephone: 0113 261 8300
Mobile: 07768 294700


Telephone: 0121 452 7739

Follow our regular updates on X: @BMAEastMidlands

 

East of England

BMA EERC (East of England) covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.

Our people

The EERC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in the East of England as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair - Mr Devender Khurana
Deputy chair - Dr Chris Browning
Deputy chair - Dr Ian Hume
Regional coordinator - Nigel Mason

Elections

Elections for this region will take place from 16 December 2024 when nominations open. Find out more.

Get in touch with EERC

Email the Eastern region
Head of Region – Amanda Saha 
Telephone: 0203 033 3900

Follow our regular updates on X: @EasternBMA

 

London

BMA LRC (London regional council) works on behalf of BMA members across the capital, in all London Borough areas.

Our people

The LRC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in the capital, as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair – Dr Kevin O’Kane
Deputy Chair – Dr Ndeye Fatou Gueye
Deputy Chair – Mr Monil Karia
Honorary Secretary – Dr Sachin Sharma

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for London region.

Get in touch with LRC

Email the London region
Head of region: James Steen
Telephone: 020 8655 8800

Follow our regular updates on X: @LondonBMA

 

North East

BMA NERC (North East regional council) covers Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside.

Our people

The NERC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in the North East as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair - Dr George Rae
Deputy chair – Dr William Fostier
Deputy chair – Dr Samuel Parker
Honorary secretary - Dr Andrew West
Industrial relations officer – David Atkinson

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the North East region.

Get in touch with NERC

Email the North East region
Head of region: Shazia Karim
Telephone: 0113 261 8325

Follow our regular updates on X: @NorthEastBMA

 

North West

BMA NWRC (North West regional council) works on behalf of BMA members across the North West region.

Our people

The NWRC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working across the North West as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair - Rob Barnett
Deputy chair – Tom Kane
Honorary secretary - John Hughes
Regional coordinator - Shahnawaz Sadiq

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the North West region.

Get in touch with NWRC

Email the North West region
Head of region: Claire Ashley
Telephone: 0151 709 5660

Follow our regular updates on X: @NorthWestBMA

 

South Central

BMA SCRC (South Central regional council) covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Our people

The SCRC is made up of 23 members elected directly from members living and working in the region as well as two regionally elected representatives to the BMA's UK council and is led by the SCRC's executive:

Chair - Dr Alex Freeman
Deputy chair - Dr Penelope Toff
Deputy chair - Dr Julian Bashforth
Honorary secretary - Dr Reshma Khopkar
Head of region - Mr Hugh Townsend

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the South Central region.

Get in touch with SCRC

Email the South Central region
Head of region - Hugh Townsend
Telephone: 020 8655 8839

Follow our regular updates on X: @SouthernBMA

 

South East Coast

BMA SECRC (South East Coast regional council) covers Kent, Surrey, Sussex and the Channel Islands.

Our people

The SECRC is made up of 26 members elected directly from members living and working in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair - Dr Christine Clayton
Deputy chair - Dr David Baglow
Deputy chair - Dr Dominic Whitehouse
Honorary secretary – Dr Zishan Syed
Head of region - Mr Hugh Townsend

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the South East Coast region.

Get in touch with SECRC

Email the South East Coast region
Head of region – Hugh Townsend
Telephone 0208 655 8839

Follow our regular updates on X: @SouthernBMA

 

South West

BMA SWRC (South West regional council) covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

Our people

The SWRC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in the south west as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair – Dr Lucy-Jane Davis
Deputy Chair – Dr Richard Rawlins
Deputy Chair – Ms Anisia Jicol
Honorary Secretary - Dr Robin Arnold
Regional Co-Ordinator – Abigail Moore

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the South West region.

Get in touch with SWRC

Email the South West region
Head of region: Caran Chamberlain 

Telephone: 0117 945 3100  

Follow our regular updates on X: @SouthWestBMA

 

Yorkshire

BMA YRC (Yorkshire regional council) works on behalf of BMA members across Yorkshire and Humberside.

Our people

The YRC is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in Yorkshire and Humberside, as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair - Dr Brian McGregor
Deputy chair - Dr Danielle McSeveney
Honorary secretary - Dr Stephen McAleer
Industrial Relations Officer  – David Atkinson

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the Yorkshire region.

Get in touch with YRC

Email the Yorkshire region
Head of region – Shazia Karim
Telephone 0113 261 8325

Follow our regular updates on X: @YorksHumberBMA

 

West Midlands

BMA WMRC (West Midlands regional council) covers Birmingham, Burton & District, Coventry & Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Solihull, The Black Country, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Our people

BMA West Midlands regional council is made up of 25 members elected directly from members living and working in the West Midlands region as well as representatives nominated from various other BMA structures and is led by the executive:

Chair – Dr Stephen Millar
Deputy chair – Dr Chandra Kanneganti
Deputy chair – Milan Kaur
Honorary secretary – Ian Barros D’Sa 
Regional coordinator – Melanie Sutton 

Elections

Check back for information about council elections for the West Midlands region.

Get in touch with WMRC

Email the West Midlands region
Head of region - Jim Stringer
Telephone: 0121 452 7739

Follow our regular updates on X: @WestMidsBMA

 

 

Get involved in your region

Here are some ideas and suggestions that you might consider:

  • attend your regional council meetings and consider nominating yourself for one of the elected seats
  • keep your email details are up to date on the website, so you receive the focused e-newsletters with updates on issues affecting doctors in your area 
  • encourage your friends and colleagues to be members of the BMA and to get involved
  • attend your local BMA division or regional BoP committee (most hold at least one open meeting each year)
  • get hold of any local consultation documents and send them to your regional coordinator. Ensure you copy the BMA into any responses you send. Link into your local community and ensure the BMA is aware of the issues affecting your area
  • help local campaigns by contacting local media, writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, contacting your MP, local councillors and other local stakeholders.