A senior health care professional has been appointed to the top team of a national charity.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has announced the appointment of Mary Watkins, Baroness Watkins of Tavistock, as a member of its presidential team. 

Baroness Watkins, who lives in the Buckland Monachorum area, brings a wealth of experience from her distinguished career in nursing, healthcare leadership, and public service, further strengthening RoSPA’s commitment to championing safety and preventing accidents.

The RoSPA presidential team comprises deputy president Baroness Margaret Eaton and life president Lord Jordan, and as vice president, Baroness Watkins will contribute to the team’s vital role in bringing RoSPA’s voice to the halls of Westminster.

A cross-bencher in the Lords, Baroness Watkins’s career spans over 40 years. Initially training at the Wolfson School of Nursing, Westminster Hospital, and the South London and Maudsley Nursing School, she completed her PhD from King’s College London as a Florence Nightingale Foundation Scholar. She was emeritus professor of healthcare leadership and deputy vice-chancellor at Plymouth University and visiting professor of nursing at King’s College London.

Baroness Watkins has served on the NHS England Board since January 2023, co-chaired the World Health Organisation’s review of the State of the World Nursing, and led the Burdett Trust’s Nursing Now initiative.

Rebecca Hickman, RoSPA CEO, said: “As we head into the launch of a new national accident prevention campaign, having Baroness Watkins as part of the RoSPA team will be a powerful addition to our work and we are looking forward to making change together.” 

She contributed extensively to policy and legislation in the House of Lords and holds influential roles in several all-party parliamentary groups, on health and safety.

Baroness Watkins said: “I am honoured to join RoSPA’s presidential team and to contribute to an organisation that has such a profound impact on the safety and wellbeing of communities. My career has been dedicated to improving health and safety standards, and I look forward to working with RoSPA to advance these crucial issues, particularly in areas such as road safety, child protection, and community healthcare.”