Phil practised family medicine as a GP in Sheffield for thirty-four years before qualifying as a herbalist and then joining the Institute's Council since 2017. He was elected as President in 2019.
Meet the conference programme panel
Each year a different panel put together the conference programme. Meet the team behind this year's event
Phil Deakin
Institute President
James Wiltshire
Institute Chief Executive
James joined the Institute in 2018 following a career in business consultancy within the banking and insurance sectors.
Melinda McDougall
Institute Director
Originally from Australia, Melinda qualified as a herbalist following a previous career as a journalist and documentary-maker. She was elected to the Institute's Council in 2020
Martin Schoenbeck
Institute Director
Martin is a clinical training tutor for the Heartwood Professional Program and has been delighted to take on students for their clinical practice hours in his busy Garden Clinic in Lincoln.
Martin was elected to serve on the Institute’s Council in 2020.
Hananja Brice-Ytsma
Institute Director
Hananja has practiced herbal medicine extensively both in the UK and in Switzerland, working in private practice, in clinics and in hospitals for over 20 years.
She has lectured widely throughout the UK for her specialist experience in gynaecology and paediatrics, and at present is Clinical Director and teaches Plant Sciences, Herbal Therapeutics at Heartwood