Who We Are

HDU is a nationally recognised professional association and trade union which represents and advises all grades of hospital doctor in the UK, both in the NHS and private sectors.

Formed in 1948, when it was identified that consultants needed a membership body that would speak for them in the early years of the NHS, that need has never abated, and decades later we have a stronger, larger union with a track record of supporting its members.

Today HDU accepts into membership hospital doctors and dentists, and specialty doctors working in the community, of all grades. Medical students can join as associate members.

HDU is a professional association and a registered trade union affiliated to the TUC and General Federation of Trade Unions.

How We Serve Members

Advice and Support

Negotiation and Representation

Promoting the role of hospital doctors and specialty medicine

Campaigning for the future of the NHS

Key People

Dr Claudia Paoloni

President

Dr Paoloni is a Consultant Anaesthetist based in Bristol. She was elected the first woman President of HCSA in 2019, having previously served for three years as chair of the Executive, and remains actively involved in work around the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine.

Martin Bond

General Secretary

Martin is HCSA’s General Secretary and previously National Officer for the North West. He has extensive experience of representing trade union members in Unite, the GMB and most recently as a caseworker for Citizens Advice.

Dr Anna Beattie

Vice President

Dr Anna Beattie is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Radiologist at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has held a number of national leadership roles, including serving as chair of the Junior Radiologists’ Forum, member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Trainer committee and, as an FRCR examiner, contributing to the education, training and assessment of future radiologists.

Dr Naru Narayanan

Past President

Dr Narayanan is a Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Torbay Hospital. He has previously held positions as College Tutor, Training Programme Director and Clinical Director in the South West. Prior to becoming a Consultant, he was overseas trainees’ representatives at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Dr Claudia Paoloni

President

Anna Beattie

Vice President

Dr Naru Narayanan

Past President

Dr Matt Church

Resident Doctor NEC member

Dr Zahida Ahmad

London (West) & Central NEC member

Dr Karim Salem

Midlands NEC member

Dr Julie Walker

North Eastern NEC member

Dr Ganesh Retnasingam

North Western NEC Member

Dr William Loan

Northern Ireland NEC member

Dr Susan Murray

Scotland NEC Member

Pritika Bhagwan

National Officer – Midlands

Pritika is the national officer for the Midlands.

Sasha Burn

Strategic National Organiser
Sasha qualified in 1996 and trained all over the UK prior to doing her neurosurgical fellowship in Toronto and then successfully obtaining a consultant post as a paediatric neurosurgeon in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in 2009. After raising patient safety concerns, Sasha left Alder Hey and retrained in trade unionism and employment law.

Farah Cheema

National Officer – London (West) & Central
Farah represents members in West London and South Central England. Her specialism is employment law, having worked in this area for many years, including for a City firm, an employment law consultancy, and as a volunteer at the Free Representation unit, where she represented claimants at tribunal.

Salvatore DiMarini

National Officer – London (East) and Eastern
Salvatore is our National Officer for London east and eastern England. He has over 25 years’ experience within trade unions and dealing with members’ issues, both for GMB and as a senior advocate for Unite, and has wide experience assisting members with disciplinary matters, grievances and appeals at all levels. He has employment law qualifications gained at Oxford and the Institution of Legal Executives.

Denise Hayward

National Officer – South Western & Southern
Denise represents members in the South West. She has worked for HCSA twice, starting as the membership secretary and returning in 2020 as Employment Service Advisor. Denise has 14 years’ NHS experience working in HR and as a middle manager. Most recently she has completed the TUC Diploma in Employment Law.

Billy McCreight

National Officer – Northern Ireland
Billy is the National Officer for Northern Ireland.

Isslia Roberts

National Officer – North West
Isslia represents members in the North West region. She has worked in employment and discrimination law for almost a decade, including as a specialist for Citizens Advice, and led a government-funded project representing those challenging unfair dismissals and discrimination cases. She has particular knowledge on pregnancy and maternity, sexual harassment and race matters in the workplace.

Allan Robertson

National Officer – Scotland
Allan has been a trade union activist in the NHS in Scotland for many year. He has the TUC Diploma in Employment Law, and is currently studying for the MSc / LLM in Mediation and Conflict Resolution.

Internal Democracy

HDU is a democratic organisation that alongside individual workplace representation for its members seeks to represent their views and interests, and those of the wider community of hospital doctors, in every workplace and NHS trust or board across the UK.

The HDU is governed by its ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), who are elected by members every two years to carry out governance and oversight of the union’s affairs. As well as representatives from each of HDU’s 9 districts, there are reserved NEC seats for SAS and resident doctors.

A president elected by a ballot of all members leads the presidential team to deal with day-to-day matters, composed of the president, vice-president and past president.

HCSA members also elect a general secretary every five years to oversee the staff team and work to the strategic objectives set by the NEC.

Members are informed on the progress of the union via General Meetings.

Governing Documents

he HCSA rules are reviewed and amended by General Meetings of members.