Interview with Dr Fiona Donald, Royal College of Anaesthetists

ByDr Fiona Donald

Published04 March 2022

Dr Fiona Donald, president of the RCoA, offers her thoughts on how the pandemic has affected her specialty, and how it may inform its future – as well as that of the wider profession.

It would not be fair for individuals to be singled out in claims that arise from less than optimal or delayed care due to lack of staff and resources during COVID-19.

What many of our members have told us got them through the toughest times was the way colleagues came together to face the challenge and to support each other.

Dr Fiona Donald

President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Dr Fiona Donald is a consultant anaesthetist with an interest in obstetric anaesthesia, at North Bristol NHS trust. She has worked in the NHS for over 35 years and during this time her research interest has been in team training to improve safety. Fiona has had a number of roles within the college starting as a college tutor in 2000. She became an examiner for the fellowship examinations of the RCoA (FRCA) in 2009 and was chair of the Final FRCA when she finished examining in 2019. She was elected to Council of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) in 2016 and has been vice-president since September 2019. She is now president and took up post in September 2021. Fiona has a wealth of experience in education and training and her immediate priority as incoming president is to work with college staff, council members and others to guide trainers, and anaesthetists in training, through the changes to the anaesthetic curriculum and the disruptions resulting from the COVID pandemic.