Professor Mike Grocott chosen as vice-president for Royal College of Anaesthetists

A leader in anaesthetics and critical care research, Southampton’s Professor Grocott has been elected as a new vice-president by the council of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists, the professional body responsible for anaesthesia in the UK, has chosen Professor Mike Grocott to be one of its two vice-presidents starting in September 2019.

Recognising achievement

Combining his work as a consultant anaesthetist with his research, Professor Grocott is both a consultant in critical care medicine at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and professor of anaesthesia and critical care at the University of Southampton.

He is also joint director of the Xtreme Everest oxygen research consortium, and scaled the world’s highest peak in 2007 in order to conduct research at high altitude that mimics the low oxygen conditions often experienced by patients in intensive care.

As well as making huge strides in furthering the knowledge of how the body responds and adapts to such low-oxygen conditions, and how they might be used in critical care, the Fit-4-Surgery research team which he jointly leads with Professor Sandy Jack established the WESFIT clinical trial to evaluate an exercise programme to prepare patients for surgery and improve outcomes.

In addition to this appointment by the College, the leading medical journal The Lancet also recently included a profile of Professor Grocott, recognising his achievements throughout his career and the turning points which got him to where he is today. 

Leading the UK’s anaesthetists

With a combined membership of 22,000 fellows and members, the Royal College of Anaesthetists is the third largest medical Royal College in the UK by membership.

It represents anaesthetists across the country - the UK’s largest hospital specialty - and sets standards in anaesthesia, pain medicine and intensive care to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients undergoing surgery.

The College consists of an elected council of practising anaesthetists, which Professor Grocott first joined in March 2016. Each year the council elects a president and two vice-presidents.

In his new role, Professor Grocott will work alongside the college president Professor Ravi Mahajan (Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust) and the other vice-president Dr Fiona Donald (Southmead Hospital Bristol) to govern the College.

“We are absolutely delighted that Professor Grocott’s work has been recognised in this way,” said Christine McGrath, director of research and development for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

“He has gone to extreme lengths to discover how we can save the lives of our critical care patients and will be an invaluable asset to the Royal College of Anaesthetists.”