Warwick Medical School professor appointed as lifetime peer to House of Lords

Warwick Medical School’s Professor Swaran Singh, Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry, has been appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer, following decades of invaluable contributions to youth mental health research and healthcare equity.

Prior to joining the University of Warwick in 2006, Professor Swaran Singh trained as a surgeon before pivoting to psychiatry, specialising in first-episode psychosis. In 2001, he founded the first NHS-funded Early Intervention in Psychosis service, a multi-disciplinary team established to identify treatment delays and promote recovery following a first episode of psychosis.

This is the proudest achievement of my life. It marks the culmination of a journey I could scarcely have imagined when I first arrived in Britain

Professor Singh

Singh has published over 350 research papers, comprising issues including mental health law, ethnicity in mental health, the importance of early intervention services, and medical education. He is also directing numerous large-scale projects in sub-Saharan Africa and India, with the aim of improving mental health services in poorer communities.

In addition to his outstanding contributions in the medical field, Professor Singh is deeply committed to promoting equality and was appointed Equality & Human Rights Commissioner between 2013 and 2019.

After leaving the role in 2021, Singh led the Independent Investigation into Discrimination within the Conservative Party, which later became known as The Singh Investigation. The 2021 report exposed discrimination and Islamophobic views within the party and found that individuals that brought allegations forward needed better support.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Singh said he was honoured to take up the role: “I am deeply honoured to have been conferred a peerage. To me, it reflects the enduring strength of British democracy that someone who came to this country without political connections or privilege could be entrusted with such a distinction.

“This is the proudest achievement of my life. It marks the culmination of a journey I could scarcely have imagined when I first arrived in Britain, and I am profoundly grateful for the confidence that has been placed in me”.

The Dean of Medicine at Warwick Medical School, Professor Gavin Perkins, was full of praise for his colleague, saying that “Professor Singh represents the very best of Warwick Medical School: a clinician, researcher, and public servant whose work has delivered meaningful change far beyond the boundaries of academia”.

It is Professor Singh’s altruism and enduring dedication to improving the lives of others that has earned him a life peerage in the House of Lords, where he will continue to advise national and international institutions on mental health and equity policies.