It is our great pleasure to announce that Professor Martin Vernon has been elected as the new President Elect of the BGS. Following a two-year term as President Elect, he will become BGS President.
Professor Vernon has been at the forefront of the specialty for many years and served as National Clinical Director for Older People at NHS England from 2013-2019. He is currently the co-chair of the BGS Ethics and Law Special Interest Group, where he has been instrumental in the BGS’s contributions to the assisted dying debate, including making two appearances on Sky Newsgiving evidence to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee in the House of Lords, and leading on written evidence that prompted an amendment to the assisted dying bill.
Throughout his career, he has championed frailty, integrated care and person-centred services for older people, helping shape national policy and the NHS Ageing Well programme. Alongside his national leadership, he has remained a practising consultant geriatrician, educator and advocate for multidisciplinary care, making a lasting contribution to improving healthcare for older people across the UK.
Professor Vernon will begin his term as President Elect from the BGS Autumn Meeting on 12/13 November. He will support Dr Amit Arora, the incoming BGS President, for two years before himself becoming President in November 2028.
Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, President of the BGS, said:
I am so pleased to see Martin elected to the role of President Elect by our membership. He brings a wealth of expertise and experience which will be invaluable to the continuing work of the BGS to improve healthcare for older people. In particular, Martin’s experience of clinical leadership at local, regional and national levels will enable him to contribute to the BGS’s ongoing role in ensuring healthcare services work for those who use them most.
Professor Martin Vernon said:
I’m truly humbled and excited by the honour of becoming the next BGS President Elect. It really does represent a career high.
I will bring my energy, drive and commitment to the British Geriatrics Society to ensure that together we turn our influence into impact and ensure older people's healthcare becomes one of the defining successes of NHS reforms across the UK.
I am firmly focused on bringing together clinical colleagues, leaders, policy makers, and academia to support the delivery of better outcomes for older people. We are entering a golden era for our specialty at a time when the demand for our skills has never been higher, and now is the time to capitalise on our collective expertise.
To achieve this, we must become the leading voice for healthy ageing and reduction in health and care inequalities. I want to ensure that the BGS is the organisation policy makers turn to first when seeking solutions to the challenges of an ageing society. We shouldn’t just respond to change; we should lead it.
This means being at the centre of national discussions on neighbourhood health services, care integration, the deployment of new technologies and promoting excellence through research, innovation and education. We must continue to define and champion the highest standards of care for older people and accelerate the implementation of evidence-based practice. Our prominent role in shaping the future workforce means we must continue to develop and support multidisciplinary education, leadership capability and workforce growth to meet the future demands for complex healthcare.
There is much to do, and I look forward to working with you all over the coming years.
