Announcing your newly elected Council members 2026

Thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s elections. By voting, you play an important role in determining the College’s leadership and representation of our profession.

Six elected members will join your Council in July, bringing a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to help shape our profession’s future. We welcome Rachel Bell, Paula Coyle, Professor Alun Huw Davies and Mohamed Hashem, who will be formally admitted to Council in July and to Nicola Fearnhead, who has been re‑elected. We also welcome Professor Peter Brennan who is returning to Council as an elected member for a second term.

The new Council members will join Tim Lane, who was elected by members and fellows as the College’s next President and will take office in July 2026. Read the full announcement about the incoming President.

We also thank those Council members who will be demitting at the end of their terms: Professor Farah Bhatti, Jonathan Epstein, Laura Hamilton, Professor Rob Sayers and Shailinder Singh, alongside outgoing President Tim Mitchell and Vice‑Presidents Professor Peter Friend and Professor Vivien Lees.

We also recognise the contributions of invited Council member, Yasser Mohsen, Chair of the Court of Examiners.

The Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) also sits on Council, ensuring dental surgery continues to be represented in the College’s decision‑making.

As previously announced, Professor Martyn Cobourne has been elected as the next Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and will take up office on 19 June 2026, succeeding Dr Charlotte Eckhardt. We thank Dr Eckhardt for her contribution and leadership during her term.

There is still time to vote for your Vice‑Presidents until 11 May. Find out more about the election and cast your vote today.

Elections for the FDS Board Vice‑Deans will take place in June and will be decided by a vote within the Board. The newly elected Vice‑Deans will take office in October.

Read the elected Council members' election statements below, and find out more about our existing Council members.

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Professor Peter Brennan

Specialty: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Firstly, thanks to everyone who supported me for Council (2020-4). I couldn't re-stand due to clinical commitments, but with a new job plan, can continue important work benefitting UK and overseas Members and Fellows.

If elected I will:

1. Champion and empower training and surgical education at every opportunity, and robustly defend our profession against pressures that continue to adversely affect practice and wellbeing. With many feeling increasingly undervalued, the need for strong Council direction and support for colleagues at all career stages has never been greater.
2. Lead and promote Human Factors and enhancing teamwork initiatives. Although our work has been recognised at the highest level, the College must do more to integrate these skills across surgical teams to improve patient safety, performance, and morale.
3. Drive our award-winning differential attainment research in surgical exams and assessments (ARCPs) to help further understand, address and tackle barriers. We need to ensure training pathways are fair for all.

I am known for effective and transformational leadership, valuing equality and diversity, reducing hierarchy and changing culture from the 'shop floor' to the wider NHS and beyond.

I bring energy, enthusiasm and vision but most importantly, will deliver you results.

Nicola Fearnhead

Specialty: Colorectal and General Surgery

Surgeons face many challenges: waiting lists, workforce retention, working conditions, and limited resources. Training is under pressure with reduced training opportunities, fewer posts, high costs, late rotas, geographical relocation and uncertain career pathways.

Tackling these issues requires working with Council colleagues and drawing on expertise of experienced College staff. Close working relationships with Surgical Specialty Associations and other Royal Colleges are key. I uphold the College’s mission to advocate for our Members and Fellows for the benefit of surgical patients.

In 20 years as a Consultant in Cambridge, I concentrate on delivering excellence in emergency and elective clinical care, building regional subspecialty services, training at all levels and managing a highly recruiting research portfolio.

I have held several senior leadership positions, including President ACPGBI, Clinical Lead National Bowel Cancer Audit, and Council Lead for Emerging Leaders programme. I represented RCSE at CPOC and sit on NELA’s Project Board. Council roles focus on research, QI and DEI. I am a Trustee of BJS Foundation and BRUK charities. International recognition has led to four Honorary Fellowships, including American College of Surgeons.

I stand for inclusive and mutually respectful collaboration, sustained positive change, responsible innovation, and the paramount importance of empathy and humanity.

Rachel Bell

Specialty: Vascular Surgery

With 32 years of experience in the NHS, my passion for surgery and commitment to my fellow surgeons run deep - you are my people.

As a former President of the Vascular Surgical Society and the national GIRFT lead for Vascular Surgery, I have honed my leadership skills and gained valuable insight into our daily challenges. My key priorities include:

• Championing improvement and innovation: Promoting advancements in surgical techniques and ensuring equitable access to optimal surgical pathways and care.
• Tackling workforce issues: Addressing the recruitment and retention crisis within our profession, particularly the crisis around training bottlenecks for resident doctors.
• Supporting staff wellbeing: enhancing support systems for surgeons to prevent burnout by championing organisational change for better work-life balance, mentorship and accessible psychological support.

Together, we can foster an environment where both patients and healthcare professionals thrive, ensuring the highest standards of care. As a straightforward girl from Yorkshire, I am dedicated to representing your interests and driving positive change.

Paula Coyle

Specialty: ENT

As a 2024 Emerging Leader (EL), I’m armed with enthusiasm and  a current understanding of RCSEng’s workings, making me an excellent candidate to influence positive change and create a more inclusive college.

I firmly believe that being a good surgeon needs to be attainable throughout all stages of life. My fertility journey, influenced my EL project, Let’s get talking: fertility, infertility and pregnancy loss in surgery, an uncomfortable topic I will continue focusing on.  As faculty on the new Back to the Scalpel course, I have used the RCSEng augmented reality (AR) suite to enhance return to work experiences. I will push to expand the difficult questions raised by the Kennedy/Parents in Surgery reports so we help all surgeons at different stages.

With experience on the ENTelligence committee, I staunchly believe the college cannot afford to sleep through the AI revolution and must direct requirements, or AI risks becoming dictatorial.

I’m a paediatric ENT consultant, so feel strongly about national paediatric surgical waiting lists. Unfortunately, children and young people are often an afterthought in government policy. I advocate, with intergroup working, RCSEng puts firmer pressure on the DoH to address this while maintaining training for our resident surgeons.

Thank you.

Professor Alun Huw Davies

Specialty: Vascular

I am deeply committed to support the surgical community. I have held various leadership roles (e.g. NICE, NIHR, ACCIA, NHS England, ASGBI, RSM, VS) that has given me insight to issues faced by all grade of surgeons, stakeholders including patients, with key thoughts:

1. Education/Training – look at further strategies to optimize accessibility, flexibility, affordability, and fairness reduce cost and increase flexibility of training to ensure accessibility, affordability, and fairness I am currently an FRCS examiner and previously STC member, TPD with a responsibility for part-time training and CSER assessor
2. Service delivery/Outcomes – the importance of supporting the surgical workforce while trying to achieve optimal outcomes. Ensuring that the “surgical brand” is a central pillar in health care policy and not neglected.
3. Research/Innovation – increase engagement of all, incorporating research into daily practise with enhanced support of organizations such as NIHR and trainee collaboratives. My teams work on VTE prophylaxis in the surgical patient of all specialties is having global impact and a big thank you to those of you who have made this possible.

I feel I have the skills and knowledge to represent the views of the fellows and members of the college and contribute to a bright future.

Mohamed Hashem

Specialty: Trauma and Orthopaedic

I am standing for Council election as I am deeply committed to service to the College and to advancing equitable, high-quality surgical education and professional development for all surgeons.

I have served the College as a Faculty member and Course Director, contributing to national teaching and assessment.

Also, I founded OrthoXcel, a non-profit educational platform delivering accessible, high-quality training, research support, and career guidance to trainees and SAS doctors. I also co-founded and chair the Education Committee of the British Egyptian Orthopaedic Society, reflecting my commitment to community engagement and widening participation.

As an international medical graduate, I understand the challenges facing IMGs and doctors without training numbers. Through my Non-Deanery Trainee project, I actively work to promote fair access to training, mentorship, and career progression.

My lived experience underpins a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. I also bring governance and leadership experience as Audit and Research Lead, SAS Representative on JCIE, and committee member of Orthopaedic Trauma Society.

My three priorities on Council are:

• Advancing equitable access to training, assessment, and career progression for all surgeons
• Strengthening the College’s support for members in surgical education, research, and professional development
• Enhancing meaningful engagement with diverse communities across the profession