Welsh Board

Welsh Board

The Welsh Board  is focused on supporting and implementing the College's strategy in Wales. Its main objective is to promote high standards of training and practice in anaesthesia in Wales, while maintaining a cohesive and consistent approach to all aspects of College core business across the UK. With the increasingly divergent healthcare system in Wales the board acknowledge and ensure active engagement with Welsh Government.

Dr Simon Ford
Chair

"The Welsh Board is fully represenetative of anaesthetic services across Wales. The biannual meetings are attended by senior members of the RCoA Council and Executive Team providing a close working relationship and support in discussions with Welsh Government. The Board is ideally positioned to support initiatives across Health Board's to facilitate service improvement and clinician wellbeing." 

Welsh Board Election

The elections for the Welsh Board are now closed. There remain two vacancies on the Welsh Board for a representative from the Hywel Dda Health Board and a new vacancy for an SAS representative. We are keen for Consultants, Specialist Grade, Staff Grade and Associate Specialist members interested in joining the Board to get in touch, so that we can discuss the importance of the role and the impact you can have on representing your nation and specialty. Please email Chair, Simon Ford at elections@rcoa.ac.uk for more information.

Welsh Board

The Board consists of an elected member of Council, six elected Consultant members an elected Staff and Associate Specialist (SAS), a trainee and the College RAA for Wales. It also comprises a representative from the following:

  • the Welsh Intensive Care Regional Advisers
  • the Welsh Pain Medicine Regional Advisers
  • the Association of Anaesthesia
  • the College's Lay Committee
  • a Clinical Director or equivalent representative
  • the College senior management, usually the Chief Executive or a director.

The current Board members are:

  • Dr Simon Ford, Chair
  • Dr Sarah Harries, Head of School
  • Dr Mark Sandby-Thomas, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Representative
  • Dr Lewys Richmond, Swansea Bay University Health Board Representative
  • Dr Alun Thomas, Hywel Dda Health Board Representative
  • Dr Anna Williams, Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board Representative
  • Dr Piotr Kurcharski, Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board Representative
  • Dr Stephan Clements, Besti Cadwaladr Health Board Representative
  • Dr Kath Eggers, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board Representative
  • Dr Kathryn LLoyd-Thomas, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board Representative
  • Dr Matt Williams, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board Representative
  • Dr Gianluca Longobardi, Trainee Representative
  • Natalie Walker, Committee Secretariat

The Board also consists of a number of ex-officio and co-opted members and you can find out more in the Board's term of reference document here.

Minutes from the past two Welsh Board meetings can be found below:

You can find the RCoA Welsh Board's Term of Reference here.

COPES Devolved Nations

The College has developed a process by which it collaborates with other institutions on guidance, known as COPES (Co-authorship, Partnership, Endorsement and Support.) 

More information about the COPES review process for guidance documents, policies and statements which pertain solely to a devolved nation can be found here.