Dr Haines qualified from the University of Manchester in 1984 and has been a psychiatrist since 1987, working around Manchester, Lancashire and Staffordshire. She left NHS practice in 2009 and has followed a portfolio career since that time, including clinical, managerial, and medicolegal work. She is an active member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and chairs their Private and Independent Practitioners’ group. She sits on Mental Health Tribunals as a Medical Member.