Dr Fiona Donald elected next President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists

The Royal College of Anaesthetists is delighted to announce that Dr Fiona Donald has been elected (unopposed) as the College’s next President.

As President-elect, Fiona will take up office in September 2021.

Fiona has been Vice President of the College since September 2019. She first qualified from the University of Bristol in 1985 and trained in anaesthetics in Bristol, the southwest, Oxford and Geneva from 1987 to 1997. She was appointed as a Consultant at Southmead Hospital in Bristol in 1997. Fiona's main area of clinical and research interest is obstetric anaesthesia, with a focus on improving patient safety through team training.

Fiona has a longstanding commitment to teaching and training, having been College Tutor, Chair of the Board of the Bristol School of Anaesthesia, and an FRCA examiner.

Responding to her appointment, Fiona said:

“It is an honour to lead the College beyond the pandemic. I have worked as an anaesthetist for over three decades and in that time a great deal has changed in society, in medicine, and in our specialty. What has not changed is the excellence we aspire to in providing care for our patients. The College plays a big part in ensuring we can continue to provide such care by driving the highest standards of safety and quality through training, education, exams, quality improvement, research, and myriad other activities. I’m proud to be part of this brilliant organisation and keen to keep working with all of you to make it even better.

“We have the chance to move beyond being a good College, to become an exemplar of what a Medical Royal College should be in the 21st Century and I look forward to working with the College to achieve that.”

Welcoming Fiona's appointment, the outgoing President, Professor Ravi Mahajan said:

“Fiona is a highly respected member of the anaesthetic specialty. She has had a long association with the College in a variety of roles and she is an excellent leader. I have no doubt she will lead our fellows and members to deliver the best outcomes for patients and advance the position of the College in the development of anaesthesia and perioperative medicine."