Claire Shannon elected as next President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists

The Royal College of Anaesthetists is pleased to announce that Dr Claire Shannon has been elected as the College’s next President.  

Dr Chris Carey and Dr Toni Brunning have been elected as Vice Presidents. Terms of office for both President and Vice Presidents will begin in September 2024.

Claire Shannon has been Vice President of the College since September 2023 and an elected Council Member since March 2018. She has Chaired the College’s Clinical Quality and Research Board, playing a leading role in our work to uphold standards in the perioperative pathway, widen access to research and facilitate more active patient involvement.

Claire has been an advocate for doctors in training throughout her consultant career, having served as a College Tutor, Training Programme Director, Regional Adviser, FRCA examiner and deputy Chair of our Education, Training and Examinations Board.

Chris Carey was first elected to Council in 2017 and re-elected for 2023. As Chair of the Education, Training and Examinations Board Chris has been pivotal in driving improvement and innovation in training and exams as well as in the development and implementation of the new curriculum.

Toni Brunning was elected to Council in 2022 and to the Board of Trustees in 2023. She is Vice Chair of the Membership, Media and Development Board and has made a significant contribution to many areas of College work including governance, membership engagement and our events and educational content.

Dr Claire Shannon said:  

“I am honoured to be elected as the next President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. These are challenging times in healthcare but there is much to be optimistic about if we continue to listen to our members and work collaboratively to move forward together as a College.

“It has been a privilege to serve as Vice President and to work with our current President Fiona Donald, whose excellent leadership has enabled the College to support our members to provide the highest possible standards in anaesthetic and perioperative care. I am looking forward to leading the College as we continue to advocate for our members and work together to drive improvements in training, education, exams and research.”

Dr Fiona Donald said:

“Congratulations to Claire on her election as the next President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Claire has already contributed a great deal to the College over many years and has demonstrated her ability to lead with a collaborative and agile approach in the best interests of our membership, the specialty and patients.

“Claire will be expertly supported by Chris and Toni as Vice Presidents – congratulations to them too. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to Helgi Johannsson for his immense support and generously shared expertise during his term as Vice President. Helgi’s unwavering commitment to the College has been extremely valuable and we have benefitted greatly from his open and responsive approach to championing our membership across all areas of our work.”

The President and Vice President of the College are elected or re-appointed annually from among elected Council Members, in accordance with the process set out in the College Regulations.