NRAS Patrons
Theresa May MP 
Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality.
Having worked in the City before becoming an MP, Theresa has experience of life outside Westminster. She started her career at the Bank of England and went on to hold posts at the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) as Head of the European Affairs Unit from 1989-1996, and Senior Adviser on International Affairs between 1996-97.
Theresa had a varied education spanning both the state and private sectors, and both grammar school and comprehensive school. She read Geography at St Hugh’s College, Oxford University.
Theresa has been involved in politics at all levels for many years, starting out stuffing envelopes at her local Conservative Association before going on to be a councillor in the London Borough of Merton from 1986 to 1994. During that time Theresa was Chairman of Education between 1988 and 1990 and Deputy Group Leader and Housing Spokesman between 1992 and 1994.
Theresa was elected Member of Parliament for Maidenhead in May 1997. She lives in the constituency and is an active local campaigner. Her recent local activity has included campaigns to improve the local train service, bring a minor injuries unit to St Marks Hospital in Maidenhead, save the resident lock keepers and stop over-development locally.
Theresa has held several positions within Parliament since 1997. She was a member of the Shadow Cabinet from 1999 to 2010, including as Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment, Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. From 2002 to 2003 she was the first female Chairman of the Conservative Party.
After the general election in May 2010 she was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women & Equalities.
Theresa is also a member of the Parliamentary Friends of NRAS.
Gabriel Panayi, ScD, MD, FRCP Consultant Rheumatologist
After six years as NRAS Chief Medical Advisor Professor Panayi has very kindly agreed to become an NRAS Patron. He has worked tirelessly on our behalf throughout this period and has been a staunch supporter of the charity. We are delighted that he has agreed to take up this new role and look forward to working with him in the future.
A few words from Professor Panayi
"I am honoured, proud and very happy to become a Patron of NRAS joining Theresa May MP who has given her time and energy so unstintingly to the Society. I have spent a professional lifetime as an academic rheumatologist. As arc Professor of Rheumatology I had three important functions: the provision of clinical rheumatology to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis; the teaching of medical students, trainee rheumatologists and members of professions allied to rheumatology (nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists); and research into the mechanisms of inflammation that cause joint damage with the resultant problems of pain, disability, loss of work and social isolation of patients. All three of these activities are clearly intertwined for I have always felt that clinical practice focuses one's attention on the patients and their problems and is thus a powerful force directing the type of research to be done. Furthermore, the outcome of research, if not applied back in the form of new treatments in the clinic and if not transmitted to future practitioners of rheumatology, is sterile.
However, despite these endeavours I have always felt that there was a fourth ingredient missing from my professional endeavours. The missing ingredient was the political dimension of patient power. Political activities by doctors on behalf of their patients can always be misinterpreted as promotion of professional self-interest. No such jaundiced viewpoint can be expressed, at least openly, when patients are using political means to achieve more funding and thus better treatment, for in health care, just as in other spheres of life, competition for resources is a reality. However, although there were many organisations promoting the interests of patients with rheumatic diseases there was no organisation that specifically campaigned for those with rheumatoid arthritis. This was a curious and unexplained gap. I could not see how this gap could be filled until I met Ailsa Bosworth. We hit it off from the very beginning. As we know, she took on the Herculean task of organising NRAS. And as we know, she has made it into a successful, truly national charity that is recognised internationally. I have been very happy to support all the activities of NRAS but I have been particularly happy to answer the questions and the worries of patients directed at me via their emails as NRAS National Medical Adviser.
Now, in my new capacity as Patron, I will of course continue this support. Indeed, as Professor Emeritus of Rheumatology at King's College London, I have more time and will hopefully contribute even more."
Dee Thresher
Dee Thresher has almost 20 years experience in the fitness industry, teaching adult and children’s classes, personal training and media work. She regularly appears on live TV and radio and is a contributor on Sky BBC News 24, contributes to various health and fitness magazines and is a regular columnist for Reveal Magazine. Dee is a celebrity trainer, having worked with Clare Nasir, Natalie Cassidy, Charlie Brooks, Letitia Dean and Jayne Torville and also choreographs and co-presents DVD workouts.
She also often appears on Daybreak TV with her partner Dr Hilary Jones, who kindly helped NRAS launch the S Factor early awareness campaign in late 2011.
Dee is passionate about the importance of exercise for everyone, however gentle or strenuous people want to be, and is keen to help NRAS in delivering the message to all those with RA that exercise is worthwhile and can be adapted to suit anyone’s situation. She will work with NRAS on developing our exercise section of the website and helping to promote suitable exercise programmes for people with long term conditions.