Announcement of President and Vice-President Election Results

Published: 28/05/2026

The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is pleased to announce that Dr Claire Shannon has been re-elected unopposed as President for a third one-year term.  

Dr Shannon said:

“I am delighted to have been re-elected for a third and final term as President of the RCoA. I am very grateful to Council and the membership for their support and their trust in me to continue to deliver for our specialty for another year.

I am very pleased that Sarah Thornton has been re-elected for a second term as Vice-President. I have really welcomed Sarah’s expertise and energy, along with her strong advocacy for our members. I want to extend a warm welcome to Jon Chambers who joins us as our new Vice-President and look forward to working together as he takes on this new role.  

I also want to share my thanks to Chris Carey, who steps down as Vice-President in September. He has provided calm, thoughtful leadership and I am grateful for his hard work and impact in the role.”  

Vice President elections

Dr Sarah Thornton was re-elected for a second year as Vice-President, alongside Dr Jon Chambers, who was elected to serve his first year in the role.  We would like to thank Dr Chris Carey for his valued contribution over the past two years as Vice-President.  

The President and Vice-Presidents are elected or re-appointed annually from among elected Council Members, in accordance with the process set out in the College Regulations. The new terms of office for all roles will commence in September 2026 and Dr Carey will continue as Vice-President until the September Council meeting.  

Commenting on her re-election, Dr Thornton shared:  
  • “I am absolutely delighted to be re-elected as Vice-President. The work we are doing to level the playing field for our members, improve their working lives, exam experience and encourage a safer culture in theatres, are all things I care deeply about and I will continue to work hard on your behalf to see them through to fruition”.
On his election to the role, Dr Chambers said:

  • “I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity to serve the membership of the RCoA. I remain ambitious for the future of our College and have seen what working together as a profession can deliver for patients. As such we must be bold and confident in our approach to influencing the future.  

    In my 26th year as an anaesthetist, while much has changed in my professional life, the College has remained a constant as the arbiter of quality in training, patient safety and clinical standards. We must protect this hard-fought reputation, remaining proud of where our specialty has come from and the foundations which have been built.  

    However, as we enter a period of unparalleled change we must ensure we balance the best of the past with the need to innovate so we meet the needs of our current members, deliver for our patients and inspire the next generation of anaesthetists.”

Dr Sarah Thornton is an Anaesthesia and Critical Care Consultant at Royal Bolton Hospital in the Northwest. She has a background in medical education, having been Head of School for Manchester and Mersey, and Training Programme Director before that. Since she joined Council in 2022, she has been Chair of the Training, Curriculum and Assessment Committee and has produced guidance to try and improve the working lives of AIT/LED and SAS doctors, as well as better job planning for consultants.  

Sarah sits on the working party for Sexual Misconduct in Surgery as an RCoA representative and is involved in the Medical Education Training Reform career progression workstream. She has a strong interest in equity, diversity and wellbeing and fosters guide dogs in her spare time.

Dr Jon Chambers has served on Council since 2024 and is a consultant in anaesthesia at Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust. Throughout his career, Jon has been a strong and effective advocate for training the next generation of anaesthetists, having previously served as a College Tutor, Regional Adviser, Bernard Johnson Adviser for Training and Chair of the College Training Committee.  

Jon is currently Chair of our Membership Media and Development Board, Editor of the Bulletin, Chair of our Training, Curriculum and Assessment Committee and Chair for the Anaesthetic Clinical Services Accreditation Programme. He represents the College in our work alongside GIRFT, the Medical Training Review and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Joint Training Forum.