SAS Group
BASHH SAS Doctors sub committee
Supporting, representing and developing SAS (specialty, associate specialist and specialist) doctors in Sexual health and HIV medicine
SAS doctors are a vital core part of the sexual health (GUM and SRH) and HIV workforce within the United Kingdom. They are experienced clinicians able to deliver high-quality care, lead services and provide specialist teaching.
SAS doctors often lead clinics independently (HIV, PrEP, complex GUM), provide continuity within departments and are key workforce in GUM.
The BASHH SAS group exists to support, represent, and develop SAS doctors across the UK.
SAS roles can include:
Clinical roles
- Independent clinics (HIV, GUM, contraception, genital dermatology, psychosexual medicine)
- Complex case management
- On-call / advice services
Non-clinical
- Teaching (medical students, trainees, MDT)
- Trainer for STIF qualifications
- Service development
- Clinical Lead roles
- Audit / QI / governance
- Research & guideline contribution
SASsix Collective
BASHH has endorsed the six principles of the SAS Collective, a group of Specialist, Associate Specialist and Specialty (SAS) doctors who – like BASHH and other membership organisations – are working to improve the careers and retention of SAS doctors in the UK.
What are the #SASsix principles?
The SAS Collective’s principles for improving the careers and retention of SAS doctors in the UK are:
- Every early career SAS doctor should have access to an educational supervisor.
- All SAS doctors should have equity of access to professional development opportunities relevant to their stage of career.
- All Specialty Doctors who meet the required capabilities should have the opportunity to become Specialists.
- Senior SAS doctors should be offered the opportunity to be educators at every level on a par with consultants e.g. educational supervisors, clinical supervisors, directors of medical education.
- All extended roles in leadership and management should be open to all substantive medical staff i.e. consultants AND appropriately experienced SAS doctors.
- All locally employed doctors employed for more than two years within one trust should be offered the opportunity to transfer to the appropriate SAS contract.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT & PROGRESSION FOR SPECIALITY DOCTORS
We have listed resources that will be helpful to SAS doctors in their career and for clinical leads/managers to help support SAS progression within their departments. We know that some of those who work as SAS doctors can report feeling isolated/undervalued or have difficulty in gaining support and recognition of their work so hopefully these links will help guide and support career progression and recognition for BASHH SAS doctors within sexual health services.
A Specialty Doctor could choose to pursue any of the following:
- Become a Specialist
- Become a consultant via entry into the Specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC) through the portfolio pathway/CSER
- Become a consultant by entering a formal training programme
To Develop within Specialty Doctor Role
- Increase clinical autonomy
- Expand scope of practice
- Take on teaching and leadership roles
The Specialist grade
The Specialist is the more senior SAS role and is defined as a ‘senior and experienced clinician who will work autonomously’. This can be in a narrower niche (specific area of specialism within sexual health) or as wide a niche as a consultant.
Eligibility:
- Full registration and a Licence to Practice with the GMC
- A minimum of 12 years medical work (either continuous period or in aggregate) since obtaining a primary medical qualification
- A minimum of 6 years of which is in a relevant specialty in the Specialty Doctor and/or closed SAS grades (or equivalent years’ experience from other medical grades including from overseas)
- Meets the criteria set out in the Specialist grade generic capabilities framework (https://www.nhsemployers.org/system/files/2022-09/Generic-capabilities-framework-for-new-specialist-grade.pdf)
Tips to Progress to Specialist Doctor
- Develop your portfolio; Leadership / management roles, Education-focused roles
- Demonstrate your competencies
- Discuss with manager and at local job planning, you may already be working at specialist doctor level but not have this reflected in your contract/grade level.
Becoming a Consultant (Portfolio Pathway/previously called CESR)
- Evidence-based route
- Requires structured portfolio
- Needs mentorship, departmental support and planning
SUPPORT & RESOURCES
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV SAS Doctors’ Group Constitution and Terms of Reference
SAS Charter
Download the charter specific to your nation:
NHS employers SAS development guide
SRH Job Plan Guide
Specialist Grade Appointment Guidance
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. SAS – A Viable Career Choice
Role Comparison Table
SAS Collective
BASHH SAS Support
Diploma in GUM
Diploma of STI Foundation (D-STIF) Advanced Competency (highly suitable alternative to Dip GUM for SAS doctors)
CESR/portfolio pathway guidance
Case studies of SAS career journeys in sexual health:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
We are a group of SAS doctors from various backgrounds across the United Kingdom, representing SAS doctors in sexual health and HIV in BASHH. Please contact us if you have any queries via our secretary Georgina.Forbes@wales.nhs.uk
What We Do:
- Advocate for SAS doctors
- Influence workforce and policy, making sure SAS doctors are represented on various BASHH Committees
- Support and advocate for better career development in sexual health and HIV care for SAS doctors in GUM
- Provide educational opportunities for SAS doctors.
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Dr Karl Hollows
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Associate Specialist
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Dr Hollows is Clinical Lead of a regional integrated sexual health service. He works clinically across genitourinary medicine and contraception with a specialist interest in sexual medicine and psychosexual therapy. He has an extensive portfolio in medical and interprofessional education. He joined the BASHH SAS Executive committee in 2004. Having acted as group finance officer, secretary and being on the SAS conference organising committee, he was BASHH SAS chair from 2023 -2026.
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Dr Georgina Forbes
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Specialist Doctor
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Dr Forbes is a Specialist Doctor in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare based in South Wales and is the Chair of the COSRH Wales Committee. She specialises in medically complex contraception, LARC provision and sexual health testing and infections. She is the co-chair of the Wales post natal contraception network. She lectures locally and nationally about contraception and sexual infections.
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Dr Anne Oliver
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Specialist Doctor
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Dr Oliver works in Sexual Health as a Specialty Doctor since 2006. Her career as an SAS doctor has given her the opportunity to work clinically whilst developing interests in medical education and staff wellbeing. She joined the BASHH SAS Executive Committee in 2018 and now is Treasurer on BASHH committee. She is also the current Chair of the SAS Conference Organising Committee and a member of the Spring Conference Organising Committee.
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Dr Helen Sherrey
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Specialty Doctor
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Dr Sherrey qualified as a GP and developed a specialist interest in Genitourinary Medicine and Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare since 2012. She works in Belfast across primary and secondary care, including women’s community health clinic/GUM/sexual health services and psychosexual medicine.
Dr Sherrey is an experienced medical educator with extensive involvement in both undergraduate and postgraduate training. She is a trainer for COSRH, BASHH STIF, and Institute for Psychosexual Medicine. She presents at regional and national conferences
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Dr Elisha Peter
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Specialty Doctor
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Dr Peter is a former GP and currently works as a Specialty Doctor in GUM/ HIV at 10 Hammersmith Broadway which is part of Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust.
She has a keen interest in education and is a Faculty Registered Trainer in Contraception.
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Dr Sri Narayana
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Specialty Doctor
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Dr Narayana is on the BASHH SAS conference committee since 2016 and is the current BASHH SAS group finance officer. He works in Mortimer Market, London. Dr Narayana did post-graduation in dermatology and STD from India. He has special interest in genital dermatology and has been doing a dedicated genital dermatology clinic for 15 years.
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Dr Manori Bandara
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SAS doctor working as Locum Consultant (Sexual Health/HIV)
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Dr Bandara is currently working as a Locum Consultant in Sexual Health/HIV at Glan Clwyd Hospital in North Wales. Prior to this role, she worked as a Specialty Doctor in ISRH/HIV in the UK for nearly ten years.
Dr Bandara holds an MD in Venereology from Sri Lanka. In the UK, she has obtained a Diploma in GUM, a Diploma in HIV Medicine from the Society of Apothecaries, and a DFSRH, as well as letters of competency in IUD/SDI. She is also a STIF trainer and is currently working towards CESR in GUM/GIM.
Dr Bandara joined the BASHH SAS Executive Committee in December 2023 as the SAS representative to the BASHH National Audit Group. In 2025, she successfully led the SAS Group’s most recent audit project.
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Dr Franklin Odini
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Specialist Doctor
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Dr Odini works in GUM/Sexual and reproductive healthcare in County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. He is also a member of the BASHH Education committee as SAS representative and on the CoSRH Clinical effectiveness Committee.
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Dr Sanjiva Dharmaratne
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Associate Specialist
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Dr Sanjiva Dharmaratne is an Associate Specialist in Sexual health in based in York and Scarborough and Chair of the SAS committee for CoSRH and BASHH SAS regional member for North Yorkshire. She is the Clinical lead for Scarborough and works in both York and Scarborough , specialising in Complex Gum, Complex contraception including Ultrasound scanning.
She holds Diploma and MD for Gum from Sri Lanka, Diploma in SRH from CoSRH, FRT,
She is involved in advocacy and medical education for SAS for her Trust and she is a Coach and mentor .
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Dr Kajal Verma
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Specialty doctor
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Dr Kajal Verma is a specialty doctor working in Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV. She has been a member of the committee since 2012 and has represented SAS on various BASHH groups including Clinical Governance Committee and National Audit Group and served as Secretary for 4 years. Kajal has been the Programme Co-ordinator of BASHH Annual National Conference for SAS Doctors for over 5 years and has actively contributed to the organization and success of the conference. Kajal is passionate about progression and development of SAS doctors and is currently appointed as SAS Advocate for LNWUH NHS Trust and represents the group on BASHH Board.
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Dr Samindra Ranasinghe 
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SAS doctor working as Locum consultant
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Dr Ranasinghe is currently working as a locum consultant in Hillingdon Integrated sexual health services, prior to this role she worked as a locum consultant for Ealing sexual health services for a year and worked as a specialty doctor for Hillingdon sexual health services for 7.5 yrs.
Dr Ranasinghe graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Sri Lanka. Since qualifying as a medical doctor, Dr Ranasinghe has developed extensive clinical experience, with a career spanning more than 17 years in Sexual Health, Genitourinary Medicine (GUM), HIV Medicine, and Reproductive Healthcare.
She holds a diploma and an MD in venereology from Sri Lanka and since migrating to the UK for her final phase of post graduate training she has obtained diploma in GUM, Diploma in HIV and Diploma in SRH with LOC for IUD and implants. She is passionate in teaching and is a CRT as well as a STIF trainer.
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SAS Conference committee
The SAS Conference committee organizes an annual dedicated conference tailored to the professional development of sexual health for SAS doctors. For more information, please see this link.
SAS Audits
BASHH SAS committee carry out regular national audits, lead by SAS doctors.
Audit Reports
2025: BASHH SAS National Audit: Audit on the management of victims of sexual violence in sexual and reproductive health settings.