BTS Council Elections

This year we have been very fortunate to have more applications to join Council than available places. This means we need to ask BTS members to review the statements below and then vote for 6 members, one of whom should be an Early Career member (a member within 10 years of their primary qualification or time in respiratory practice).

The deadline to submit your vote is 11.59pm on Tuesday 16 September 2025.

All BTS Members are entitled to vote and we encourage all members to take part.

To vote, please follow this link to log-in and vote online.  We CANNOT accept votes in any other way. 

Mrs Alison Armstrong

I have significant experience in working with the British Thoracic Society in a number of different roles, having been a member for many years. Proudly representing my profession, I am the current Chair of the Education & Training Committee, and the first nurse to hold the position of Chair across any of the BTS standard committees. I have also previously held the position of Chair of the Nurse SAG.

I have substantial experience in positions of leadership and working with other stakeholders. I possess excellent communication skills and am confident in speaking when issues need to be raised. My role as a Trustee for the last 3 years has given me significant insight into the work of the charity, and the responsibilities of those involved in the oversight of organisational governance. I believe that as well as my professional background and my respiratory clinical expertise, these are all qualities that will allow me to bring valuable contribution as a member of BTS Council, and I am very grateful for my application to be considered.  

Dr James Calvert

I have spent over 30 years in respiratory medicine, combining frontline clinical work with leadership roles that have helped shape national strategy and strengthened governance and quality of care. My past service as Chair of the BTS Professional Standards Committee and as a Trustee was among the most rewarding periods of my career, and I would be honoured to serve the Society again.

In my current role as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and National Clinical Director for NHS Wales, and previously as Medical Director of a large Welsh health board, I have championed respiratory care as part of joined-up services linking hospitals, community teams, and prevention. I have worked extensively on workforce development, creating programmes for international medical graduates, physician associates, SAS doctors and multidisciplinary teams.

I bring a strong interest in respiratory research, service transformation and widening access to high-quality care; goals which I believe align closely with the Society’s mission. If elected, I would contribute strategic insight, practical clinical experience and system-wide leadership to help the BTS navigate a time of both challenge and opportunity for the specialty.

Ms Debbie Field

Since being involved with the BTS over the past 10 years through teaching on their ventilation courses and collaborating with developing National guidelines, it has inspired me to want to become more actively involved within the society in order to help effect change at a national level. I am passionate about the care and management of patients with long term respiratory conditions in particular those who require long term ventilation. If I were to become an active council member for the BTS I would be able to:  

·        share my knowledge, skills and expertise to help shape the future of respiratory healthcare in the UK at a national level.  

·        advocate for patients, whose voices often get lost, at a national and local level. 

·        represent respiratory nurses nationally, advocating for their unique roles in the care and management of respiratory patients and ensuring that they are part of the multi-professional team within respiratory healthcare.

·        further enhance my skills, knowledge and expertise by working alongside other experts within the field of respiratory care.  I believe that I have the experience, passion and expertise to make a positive, creative and enthusiastic contribution to the BTS if I was given the chance to become a council member.

Dr Steve Holmes

I have been on the BTS council for three years and hope that my contributions have helped to support and benefit BTS as we move forward. I have supported council - and also in the last three years supported the Science and Research Committee. There is much going on in the clinical world in the UK - and indeed globally and I hope I can continue to provide support, advise and drive from a primary care perspective with my experience with clinical, service development and leadership aspects and involvement in the national development (England) and international (IPCRG) of respiratory development. I am keen to support development of our future colleagues - the future needs to be bright, keen to ensure that care is sensible and not politically driven and that it meets with the care our patients expect.

Dr Ricky Jones

An ethic of community service yielding strong motivation and a proven track record of development of multidisciplinary respiratory teams in both inpatient and community settings as well as individual mentoring of medical and allied medical colleagues. This complimented by service to BTS, NICE, ACCP, regional education and medical schools. Consultant experience in UK, NZ & SA with continuous involvement in all facets of undergraduate and postgraduate education. This informed by Masters degrees in medical ethics, law and education with sequential interests in sleep, ILD and TB.   

Dr Dana Li

As a new consultant in pleural medicine and lung cancer, I have been involved in education and training which included working on the BTS Training Standards for Pleural Procedures. I would revel in the opportunity to understand the day-to-day responsibilities of how to run BTS, ensure our members are getting the benefits that I have received as a respiratory trainee and make sure that it remains accessible to everyone. My background in education and training, as well as having only recently finished my specialist training, would provide me a good foundation for ensuring BTS courses and conferences are well-rounded, inclusive and continue to be a high standard.

Professor Najib Rahman

I have had a long history with the BTS and conducted a number of committee and leadership roles over the last 10 years, including membership of the BTS Scientific Committee, the Standards of Care Committee and chairing a number of BTS guidelines and statements, alongside national and international leadership roles in respiratory medicine (NIHR, ERS). I believe I would add significant expertise and value to the vital functions of BTS Council through this previous experience and in supporting the excellent work of BTS to be an inclusive and active society which promotes and supports respiratory professionals for the benefit of our patients.

Dr Steven Walker

I have been proud to play an active role in the British Thoracic Society, serving on the BTS Science & Research Committee (2021–2024) and co-authoring the 2023 BTS Pleural Disease Guideline. I am passionate about making the Society work for its members—whether in shaping policy, supporting research, or strengthening our community.

In my role as Academic Advisor to the Respiratory Specialty Advisory Committee (JRCPTB), I have seen first-hand the barriers doctors in training face when building research careers. To tackle this, I launched and delivered the first BTS Respiratory Clinical Research Training Day (2025), designed to inspire and equip trainees to become the next generation of leaders in our field.

As an NIHR-funded academic and practicing NHS consultant, I bring both frontline clinical experience and a strong track record in research. On Council, I will:

• Champion opportunities and support for trainees and early-career clinicians
• Advocate for research as a driver of better care for patients
• Ensure members’ voices are heard in shaping national respiratory policy

I would be honoured to represent you on Council and will work hard to ensure the BTS continues to lead, innovate, and deliver for all its members.

Early Career Member applicants 

Dr Hnin Wint Wint Aung

I am an Academic Clinical Lecturer and ST6 Respiratory Registrar at the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. My clinical and research interests focus on phenotyping chronic airway diseases, particularly exacerbation dynamics, inflammatory endotypes, and digital inhaler adherence. I see the Council role as a valuable opportunity to apply my experience, contribute to national collaborative work, and learn from multidisciplinary colleagues with diverse expertise. I would be excited to represent early-career professionals and help shape future respiratory care, policy, and guidelines through BTS’s strategic work. 

Dr Jessica Gates

As an enthusiastic early career respiratory physician with a strong track record of active involvement in the BTS, I would relish the opportunity to give back as a council member. As a recent member of the BTS Tobacco SAG and as a Respiratory Council member for the RSM, I have contributed to national policy discussions, co-developed and delivered educational courses, and helped to interpret and disseminate BTS audit data to inform best practice. These experiences have strengthened my skills in collaboration, communication, and translating data into meaningful action, which I will utilise as well as fostering engagement with other early career members in the society.

Dr Syeda Nafisa

I am applying to join the BTS Council with the hope of contributing to the continued advancement of respiratory medicine, with a particular focus on innovation, education, and service improvement.

I work as a Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at University Hospitals Birmingham, where I have had the opportunity to lead the reconfiguration of acute non-invasive ventilation (NIV) services, aiming to improve patient safety and the quality of care. Alongside this, I am pursuing an MD examining the role of transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcCO₂) monitoring in guiding NIV for patients with type 2 respiratory failure, with the aspiration of moving practice towards more predictive and personalised care.

My academic and clinical interests are complemented by involvement in quality improvement projects, presentations at national and international meetings, and publications in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as idiopathic diaphragmatic palsy, obstructive sleep apnoea, and viral-related acute flaccid paralysis.

Through previous leadership roles, including serving as Chief Registrar and Honorary Secretary for the East Midlands BMA, I have developed a commitment to supporting trainees, encouraging early-career researchers, and promoting diversity and inclusivity within our profession.

It would be a privilege to serve on the BTS Council. I would be honoured to contribute to shaping national policy and practice, ensuring that the values of collaboration, innovation, and patient-centred care remain at the heart of respiratory medicine.

To submit your votes, click here.

The ballot for Council will close at 11.59pm on Tuesday 16 September 2025.