Professor Howe will take over the ceremonial role from current president Professor Mayur Lakhani in November and serve a two-year term.
Professor Howe is immediate past-president of the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) and is professor of primary care at the University of East Anglia and RCGP East Anglia Faculty Provost. She has previously served as RCGP vice chair for professional development and honorary secretary.
Professor Howe said on Twitter that it was an ‘amazing privilege’ to be elected as the college’s president, adding that she was ‘committed to working really hard’ for all college members.
Just heard I won the RCGP Presidency. Amazing privilege - thanks to all members who voted for me, respect to my competitors, and committed to working really hard with and for you all.
— Amanda Howe (@AmandaCHowe) May 31, 2019
The presidential elections took place throughout May and Professor Howe stood against six other college members: Professor Rodger Charlton, Dr John Chisholm, Dr Sunil Gupta, Professor Roger Jones, Dr Imran Rafi and Dr Carter Singh. The RCGP said that 14% of eligible members voted in the election.
RCGP chief operating officer and college returning officer Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick said: ‘Congratulations to Amanda, and many thanks to the other six candidates who stood for the role of RCGP President. It was a truly fair and open contest.
‘Amanda brings a wealth of experience of the college, academic primary care and frontline general practice. We very much look forward to working with her.’
Professor Howe will be the fifth female president of the RCGP. The women who previously held the role are Dame Katherine Annis Gillie from 1964 to 1967, Dr Lotte Newman from 1994 to 1997, Professor Dame Lesley Southgate from 2000 to 2003 and Dr Iona Heath from 2009 to 2012.
