For immediate release

New Clinical Director for CNWL sexual health services - Dr Simon Edwards

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Simon Edwards as the new Clinical Director for Sexual Health services at CNWL.

Simon will take up his new role in January, when the current Clinical Director, Dr Danielle Mercey, retires after 33 years in the NHS and 25 years as a consultant in sexual health.

Dr Mercey said: "Simon has led many service improvements in the HIV service, some of which have subsequently become national standards. Simon is keen now to apply his innovative spirit to the whole of Sexual Health by learning more about SRH in particular, as the service faces some tough challenges over the next few years."

Claire Murdoch, Chief Executive, said: "Dr Mercey has been a fabulous Clinical Director and I wish her the happiest of retirements. I'm so pleased that our outstanding sexual health services have a truly outstanding replacement for Dr Mercey. Simon has a very impressive record, whose specialism (HIV) has totally transformed health outcomes. Simon will keep us on the path of excellence, just as Danielle has done."

Dr Simon Edwards has been a consultant within the CNWL sexual health service for 15 years and has led the HIV service for over 10 years.

During this time the management of HIV has changed enormously and Simon has a track record of delivering service change to improving quality, efficiency and patient experience.

He is co-chair of the British HIV Association (BHIVA) National Standards of care for people living with HIV, co-chair of the BHIVA opportunistic infection guidelines and has contributed to the development of other national guidelines.

He has previously been a member of the NHS England HIV clinical reference group, an executive member of BHIVA, and Chair of the HIV special interest group for the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH).

He has published over 120 papers and is co-editor for the HIV textbook ABC of HIV and AIDS.

Apart from managing HIV care within CNWL he is responsible for managing HIV+ inpatients at both UCLH and The Royal Free.

He is not overly good at sport but likes squash, skiing and jogging. Podcasts and a kindle have enormously improved his quality of life.

He could not live in a world without spicy food one of his favourite meals is Mejadra (see Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Jerusalem: A Cookbook recipe).

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Stephenson House, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL
Tel: 020 3214 5700 e-mail:communications.cnwl@nhs.net