SAS Celebration Week
SAS Celebration Week is an opportunity to celebrate Specialty and Specialist (SAS) Doctors as a much valued part of the psychiatric workforce, and to raise its profile as a rewarding career.
SAS Celebration Week 2025
From Monday 6 October to Friday 10 October, we are celebrating the SAS workforce as a much-valued part of psychiatry.
This year we have celebratory messages from our SAS tutors, Presidential Leads and Devolved Nation Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and an opening message from the RCPsych President, Dr Lade Smith CBE.
Dr Lade Smith CBE on SAS Week 2025
Dr Julie Anderson, Chair, RCPsych Northern Ireland, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Ananta Dave, Presidential Lead for Retention and Wellbeing
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Professor Alka Ahuja MBE, RCPsych Wales Chair, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Ashok Singh, SAS tutor, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Celeste Boullineau, Associate Specialist in Psychiatry and Approved Clinician, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Jane Morris, Chair of RCPsych Scotland, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Nicola Allen, SAS Tutor Hywel Dda, on SAS week 2025
Dr Mark Finnerty, Vice Chair of RCPsych NI, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Amrit Sachar, Presidential Lead for Equity and Equality, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Achu Shaju , SAS Tutor, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Saadia Muzaffar, Associate Registrar for Wellbeing, on SAS Week 2025
Dr Deepa Jain on SAS Week 2025
Supporting our SAS colleagues
Our SAS colleagues are an integral part of our mental health medical workforce, and we recognise that the workforce crisis that psychiatry faces can only be addressed by pooling all the talent in the entirety of the workforce. Ensuring that SAS psychiatrists are equally valued within the workplace as well as within the College is key to achieving this.
We are committed to addressing the inequities faced by SAS doctors, through our RCPsych SAS Strategy which supports our SAS members to fulfil their potential and have a rewarding career.
As we mark SAS Celebration Week 2025, RCPsych fully supports the from the SAS Collective, and the principles that underpin them.
The statements are:
- Every early career SAS doctor should have access to an educational supervisor
- All Locally Employed Doctors employed for more than two years should be offered an SAS contract
- Senior SAS doctors should be offered the opportunity to be educators at every level
- All SAS doctors should have equity of access to professional development opportunities
- All extended roles in leadership and management should be open to SAS
- All specialty doctors who meet the specifications should have the opportunity to become specialists.
These actions align with our strategy and reinforce the importance of supporting any SAS doctor seeking career development in their right to apply for specialist roles for which they are suitably qualified.
SAS celebration week 2024
In 2024 we asked members of the SAS committee to share their experiences working as a SAS doctor, covering different themes on each day:
Dr Lade Smith CBE on SAS Week 2024
Dr Lade Smith CBE, President of the 萝莉视频, highlights the crucial role of SAS psychiatrists in the mental health workforce, emphasising their clinical expertise, leadership, and contributions to patient care. She discusses recent initiatives to improve recognition and opportunities for SAS psychiatrists, including changes in training and leadership roles. This conversation underscores the importance of celebrating their impact not just during SAS Psychiatrists Week, but year-round.
Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on SAS Week 2024
Dr Rebecca Tomlinson is a SAS doctor in Older Adult Psychiatry and the representative for the Trent Division on the RCPsych SAS committee. Rebecca discusses their route to becoming a SAS doctor by choice, their experiences on the SAS committee, and the SAS charter.
Dr Mithun Barik on SAS Week 2024
Dr Mithun Barik is a SAS doctor in Addictions Psychiatry and the representative for Scotland on the RCPsych SAS committee. Mithun discusses the rewarding aspects of embracing extended roles such as becoming a SAS Educational Advisor.
Dr Deepak Swamy on SAS Week 2024
Dr Deepak Swamy is a specialist psychiatrist in autism and neurodevelopment and the representative for Intellectual Disabilities on the RCPsych SAS committee. Deepak discusses their experiences as a specialist psychiatrist and their involvement in the quality networks at the college.
Dr Alison Shaw on SAS Week 2024
Dr Alison Shaw is the representative for Wales on the RCPsych SAS committee. Alison invites SAS doctors from Wales to join the Welsh committees at the college.
Dr Karim Musah on SAS Week 2024
Dr Karim Musah discusses their experiences as a Specialty Doctor and representative for the Rehab faculty on the RCPsych SAS committee.
Dr Jennifer Gilligan on SAS Week 2024
Dr Jennifer Gilligan is the representative for the Northern and Yorkshire division on the RCPsych SAS committee. Jennifer discusses their decision in becoming a Specialty doctor and the opportunity to develop leadership skills through taking on additional roles.
Dr Emmeline Lagunes Cordoba on SAS Week 2024
Dr Emmeline Lagunes Cordoba is the representative for the Academic faculty and London division on the RCPsych SAS committee. Emmeline highlights the multiple extended roles that you can engage with as a SAS doctor including leadership, management and academia.
Dr Lily Read on SAS Week 2024
Dr Lily Read is the Chair of the RCPsych SAS committee. Lily shares her journey as a SAS doctor in the UK, discussing her clinical and non-clinical experiences, her advocacy for equality in the medical workforce, and the systemic barriers faced by SAS doctors.
Dr Gathoni Kamau on SAS Week 2024
Dr Gathoni Kamau is the representative for the Neuropsychiatry faculty on the RCPsych SAS committee. Gathoni discusses what it means to be a SAS doctor and encourages anyone who is interested in becoming a SAS doctor to reach out.
Dr Hina Tahseen on SAS Week 2024
Dr Hina Tahseen is the representative for the General Adult faculty on the RCPsych SAS committee. Hina discuses their experiences as an IMG and SAS doctor and encourages SAS doctors to join the SAS committee.
Dr Nayiri Sahakian on SAS Week 2024
Nayiri is the representative for the private and independent sector on the RCPsych SAS committee. Nayiri discusses the opportunities for career development as a SAS doctor and the improved work-life balance