The Council is the governing body of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and represents the professional interests of the College's membership. Decisions made by Council formulate policy and direct the College in its mission to promote the highest standards of surgical practice. As a charitable organisation, the Members of Council are also Trustees of the College. Council comprises five Office Bearers, 15 elected members, one Trainee member and the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery. The Chief Executive is in attendance at Council meetings. The Council meets approximately seven times per year.
The President, two Vice-Presidents, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer are the Office Bearers. The President and Vice-Presidents are elected by Council and have a three-year term of office. The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer are appointed by Council from within the Fellowship of the College. Their term of office is normally three years, but extendable to five years. The Council Office Bearers, together with the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and the Chief Executive meet on a regular basis to conduct Council-related business.
The term of office for the current President and Vice-Presidents is November 2022 to November 2025.
President
Professor Rowan Parks
Professor Rowan Parks is a Consultant HPB Surgeon and Professor of Surgical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Serving on the Council since 2009, he has been on numerous College committees and short life working groups.
Vice-President
Ms Clare McNaught
Ms Clare McNaught is a Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon based in Harrogate. Her clinical interests include colorectal cancer, IBD and the impact of frailty on surgical outcomes.
Vice-President
Professor Timothy Graham
Professor Timothy Graham is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University of Birmingham and Royal Centre for Defence Medicine UK.
Honorary Treasurer
Mr Siong Liau
Mr Siong Liau is a Consultant Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon based at the Cambridge Regional HPB Surgical Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. He was the Chair of the Surgical Specialty Board in General Surgery at the College from 2020-22.
Honorary Secretary
Professor Robin Paton
Professor Robin Paton is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon (with a special interest in Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery) and was first elected to the council in 2016.
Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery
Professor Grant T McIntyre
Professor Grant T McIntyre is an NHS Consultant and Honorary Professor in Orthodontics and Joint Clinical Director at Dundee Dental Research Hospital & School.
Immediate Past President
Professor Michael Griffin
Professor Michael Griffin OBE became President in 2018 when he was a Consultant Oesophagogastric Surgeon at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. He developed the Northern Oesophagogastric Cancer Unit which is now the largest in Europe and North America.