Royal United Hospitals Bath

Anaesthesia

Meet the Team

Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) Department of Anaesthesia is a large, skilled and welcoming multidisciplinary team, working together to deliver safe, high-quality care across theatres, maternity services, intensive care and pain services.

We value teamwork, kindness and professionalism. We are proud of our supportive culture that develops people at every stage of their careers while contributing to education, research and quality improvement locally, nationally and internationally. Many of our team have leadership responsibilities beyond the department. We were the top-ranked department in the UK for Core Anaesthesia Training (link to training page) in the 2025 GMC National Training Survey.

We have:

51+ Consultant Anaesthetists
10+ SAS doctors
Around 50 resident doctors (core, specialty and fellows)
On-call tiers, with dedicated consultant cover for theatres/obstetrics and a skilled team of on-call resident doctors covering theatres, obstetrics and critical care

Meet Our Consultants

Dr Robert Axe

GMC: 6076890
MBChB FRCA
Training Programme Director (TPD) for Core and ACCS Anaesthesia training within the Severn School of Anaesthesia

Dr Justine Barnett

GMC: 6051860
MB ChB (Hons) FRCA, FFICM
Specialist Areas: Intensive Care Medicine, Educational supervision
Departmental responsibilities: Clinical governance lead for Intensive Care

Dr Rob Bruce Payne

GMC: 4652786
Qualifications: MB.BS (Royal Free Hospital London), FRCA
Interests: Regional Anaesthesia, Trauma, Ambulatory Surgery, Medical Education

Lt Col Claire Cameron

GMC: 6103787
MBChB BSc Pg Cert (University of Bristol) FRCA
Departmental responsibilities: Novice trainee lead, Educational supervisor, Anaesthetic updates meeting coordinator
Specialist interest: Military Anaesthetist (Reservist)
Interests: Colorectal and major general surgery, preoperative assessment, airway, education

Dr Tim Cominos

GMC: 6144377
Specialist interests: obstetric anaesthesia, gynaecological oncology and perioperative medicine
Departmental responsibilities: College Tutor

Professor Tim Cook

GMC: 3261734
Cambridge/London Universities. BA (Hons Cantab.), MBBS (Hons.), FRCA, FFICM
Specialist interests: Intensive Care Medicine/Enhanced Recovery /Advanced Airway /Emergency Laparotomy
Departmental lead for Research.
College Advisor on Airways.
Clinical: Intensive Care Medicine/ Enhanced Recovery / Airway / Emergency Laparotomy.
Research:  Anaesthesia safety / Major Complications of Anaesthesia / Airway Management / Regional Anaesthesia / Accidental Awareness during Anaesthesia / Emergency Laparotomy / Perioperative Cardiac Arrest / COVID/ Litigation.
Honorary Professor Bristol University and London University.

Dr Michael Coupe

GMC: 4194602
MBChB Birmingham FRCA FFPMRCA FFICM
Specialist areas: Pain Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine, regional anaesthesia, educational supervision
Departmental responsibilities: Medical Lead for RUH Pain Clinic. LNC Representative
Interests: Interventional pain medicine, cancer pain management, philosophy of pain, regional anaesthesia, intensive care medicine

Dr Richard Edwards

GMC: 6106082
MBBS (University of Newcastle upon Tyne), MSc (University of East Anglia)
Clinical lead for Day Surgery
Clinical Lead for Sulis Orthopaedic Centre
Specialist Interests: Orthopaedic and Regional Anaesthesia and Anaesthesia for Breast Surgery

Dr Andrew Finlay

GMC: 7456346
MBChB (Bristol) FRCA
Speciality interests: Obstetric and Regional Anaesthesia
Fixed Term Consultant

Dr Andy Georgiou

GMC: 6051980
MBChB (Bristol) BSc (Hons) FRCA EDIC DICM FFICM
Specialist areas: Intensive Care Medicine
Clinical Director for the South-West Critical Care Network
Interests: Major theatre cases, critical care medicine

Dr Stuart Gold

GMC: 4324915
MBChB (Dundee), FRCA (London)
Interests and Departmental responsibilities: Lead for hip fracture, Regional Anaesthesia and Co Airway lead

Dr Sarah Gouldson

GMC: 6149169
MBBS University College London BSc, FRCA
Specialist Areas: Difficult airway management, head and neck surgery, ENT, Perioperative medicine
Departmental responsibilities:
Co- airway lead
Educational supervision

Dr Joe Greenhill

GMC: 7409880
MBChB (University of Sheffield), MPH (Dist, University of Sheffield), FRCA
Specialist areas: Regional Anaesthesia, Complex Airway, Trauma and Stabilisation
Interests: Orthopaedics and regional anaesthesia, trauma, head and neck/maxillo-facial/ENT, simulation and resuscitation training (ALS and European Trauma Course instructor)

Dr Jeff Handel

GMC: 2837561
MB BS
Final FRCA Examiner

Dr Rowan Hardy

GMC: 4035419
MA MB BS MRCP FRCA FFICM, Cambridge University & Guy's & St Thomas' Hospitals, London
Specialist areas: Paediatrics & Intensive Care
Departmental responsibilities: Clinical Lead for Governance
Other professional responsibilities: AAGBI Independent Practice Committee
Interests: Paediatric anaesthesia, preoperative assessment, care of older people for hip fracture surgery

Dr Billy (William) Headdon

GMC: 6154173
MBBS (Hons), FRCA, FFICM, Peninsula Medical School
Specialist areas: Intensive Care Medicine
Departmental responsibilities: Clinical Lead ICU, IT and Digital
Interests: digital transformation and IT, clinical safety and processes, teaching, educational supervision

Dr Paul Hersch

GMC: 3523988
MBChB (Hons) Cape Town FRCA
Clinical interests: Paediatric and endocrine anaesthesia. ENT and maxillo-facial anaesthesia and difficult airway management.

Dr Clare Hommers

GMC: 4536532
BM BS BMedSci (Nottingham), DTM&H, MRCP, FRCA, EDIC, DICM, FFICM
Specialist areas: Intensive Care Medicine and paediatrics
Departmental responsibilities: Educational supervisor
Regional Advisor for Intensive Care Medicine for the Severn Deanery.
Clinical interests: Airway management, trauma, pre-hospital medicine and anaesthesia in low resource environments

Dr Katharine Howells

GMC: 6130110
MBBS BSc FRCA (Imperial College London) FFPMRCA
Specialist areas: Pain Medicine
Departmental responsibilities: Teaching
Other professional responsibilities: Founder of nationally run course "Anatomy for Anaesthetists"
Clinical interest: persistent post-surgical pain

Dr Lesley Jordan

GMC: 3240148
Mb ChB. (Leicester), FRCA (London) National Quality Service Improvement and Redesign (QSIR) Associate
Responsibilities
RUH Obstetric Anaesthetic Lead
Lead RH QSIR Programme
Other roles:

Clinical Lead Health Innovation West of England
Royal College Anaesthetists Regional QI Lead Severn region
Mentor Royal College Anaesthetists QI Career Development Programme
MBRACE-UK Assessor

Areas of interest: Obstetric Anaesthesia, Emergency Laparotomy, Day surgery, Early identification of deteriorating patients, Quality Improvement, Prevention of Surgical Site Infection

Professor Fiona Kelly

GMC: 4127778
MA MBBS MRCP FRCA DICM FFICM. Qualified 1994, having trained at St John's College, Cambridge and St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London
Specialist areas: Paediatric anaesthesia, airway management
Departmental responsibilities: Educational supervisor
Other professional responsibilities: Chair, Difficult Airway Society human factors working group
Interests: Human factors, education and training

Dr Ian Kerslake

GMC: 6120388
MB ChB (Bristol) FRCA FFICM
Specialist Areas: Intensive Care Medicine, Obstetric Anaesthesia, Orthopaedic Anaesthesia
Trust Responsibilities

Divisional Director for Family and Specialist Services
Clinical Lead for Outpatients

Dr Emira Kursumovic

GMC: 7084558
BSc MBBS (Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' Hospitals), FRCA (Cambridge)
Specialist areas: Perioperative medicine, complex major surgery (colorectal and gynae-oncology)

Dr Rebecca Leslie

GMC: 6075795
BM BS (University of Nottingham), BMedSci (University of Nottingham), FRCA, PGDip Periop Med
Specialist areas: Perioperative medicine & Obstetric anaesthesia
Departmental responsibilities: Clinical Co-Lead for Preoperative Assessment, Co-Chair
Interests: Preoperative assessment, gynae-oncology surgery and obstetric anaesthesia

Dr Chris Marsh

GMC: 6051699
MBChB FRCA (Bristol)
Departmental Responsibilities: Clinical Lead for Anaesthesia & Theatres
Research Interests in Obstetric Anaesthesia
Specialist Areas: Peri-operative Anaesthesia, Obstetric Anaesthesia, Paediatric Anaesthesia

Dr Mel McDonald

GMC: 4624244
MBChB, BSc (Hons) Bristol, MRCS, FRCA
Specialist Areas: Obstetric Anaesthesia
Educational supervision
Trust Appraiser

Dr Rebecca Medlock

GMC: 7039595
MB ChB (University of Leeds), FRCA, BA Hons (Healthcare Ethics), PGCert (Medical Education), PGCert (Leadership in Healthcare)
Specialist Areas: Pre-assessment & peri-operative Care, Educational supervision
Departmental responsibilities: Co-Lead Perioperative Care, SME for Electronic Patient Record

Dr Francesca Millinchamp

GMC: 7285368
BSc BM (University of Southampton), FRCA, PGCert Healthcare Leadership and Management
Specialist Areas: Pain medicine
Less Than Full Time Lead for Severn PGME School of Anaesthesia

Professor Jerry Nolan

GMC: 2805063
MB ChB (Bristol), PhD, FRCA FRCP FFICM FRCEM (Hon)
Specialist areas: Intensive Care Medicine
Departmental responsibilities: Chair Resuscitation Committee, Chair Transfusion Committee
Other professional responsibilities: Professor, University of Warwick; Honorary Professor, University of Bristol; European Resuscitation Council; Editor-in-Chief Resuscitation journal; Chair Steering Group of the National Cardiac Arrest Audit, Executive Committee Member of the Resuscitation Council (UK)
Interests: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Dr Fiona Oglesby

GMC: 7404742
MB BCh FRCA
Specialist Areas: Paediatric anaesthesia

Dr Andrew Padkin

GMC: 3440814
Specialist Areas: Trauma and elective orthopaedic surgery, complex major general surgery, day case surgery including hip and knee arthroplasty, management of the high-risk elderly patient, theatre coordination

Dr Robert Penders

GMC: 7136453
BM BS, MRCP(UK), FRCA, FFPMRCA
Specialist Areas: Pain Medicine, Chronic Pain Management
Departmental Responsibilities: Subject Matter Expert for deployment of shared Electronic Patient Record (EPR) System

Dr Jamie Penketh

GMC: 7136454
Qualifications: BMBS (Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry), MSc (University of Exeter). FRCA, FFICM, PG Cert
Specialist areas: Intensive care medicine
Areas of interest: Medical education, Information technology, research, human factors
Fixed Term Consultant

Dr Nicola Pilkington

GMC: 6167190
Qualifications: BMBS, FRCA, PGCE, FHEA
Specialist Areas: Paediatric Anaesthesia and Anaesthesia for Patients with Learning Disabilities
Departmental responsibilities: Co-lead Paediatrics

Dr Charlie Pope

GMC: 7015057
MBBCh FRCA FFICM Pg Cert Clinical Education
Specialist areas: Intensive Care
Interests: Intensive Care Medicine, Point of Care Ultrasound, Paediatrics, Faculty Tutor for Intensive Care Medicine, Joint Simulation Lead for ICM

Dr Jonny Price

GMC: 6077001
MBChB BSc MRCP FRCA FFICM DipIMC
Specialist areas: Intensive Care Medicine
Divisional Director for Surgery

Dr David Quinn

GMC: 7082855
Qualifications: MBChB MSc MRCS FHEA FRCA DMCC
Specialist Areas: Regional Anaesthesia, Obstetric Anaesthesia
Areas of Interest: Trauma & Orthopaedics

Dr Geoffrey Wolf Reading

GMC: 7304261
MBBS, BSc (Hons), EDAIC
Specialist Areas: Regional Anaesthesia, Obstetric Anaesthesia
Fixed Term Consultant

Dr Andrew Rogers

GMC: 7073612
BMBCh, BA (University of Oxford), FRCA
Specialist Areas: Difficult airway management, head and neck surgery, regional anaesthesia, acute pain, educational supervision

Dr Chris Seller

GMC: 4208084
MB BS London, FRCA
Examiner for the Primary FRCA
Clinical Interest: ENT, Endocrine

Dr Lauren Simmonds

GMC: 7151488
Qualifications: BSc Hons (UEA), MBChB Hons (Warwick), FRCA
Specialist areas: Paediatric Anaesthesia, Bariatric Anaesthesia and major Colorectal and Gynae-oncology
Departmental responsibilities: Paediatric Anaesthesia Clinical Co-Lead; Educational Supervisor

Dr Tom Simpson

GMC: 3548286
BSc MBBS ASM FRCA FFICM, St Marys Hospital University of London
Educational supervisor, Regional Advisor for Anaesthesia Severn Region
Specialist areas: Paediatric Anaesthesia, Bariatrics

Dr Hilary Shanahan

GMC: 7397812
Qualifications:
MB Bch BAO NUI, University College Dublin, Ireland
FCARCSI, College of Anaesthetists in Ireland
EACTA accreditation in Transoesophageal Echocardiography
Specialist Areas: Perioperative management of patients at high risk of major adverse cardiac event Transoesophageal Echocardiography, Preoperative assessment and optimisation, Anaesthesia for cardiac, thoracic and cardiology procedures

Dr Mark Sheils

GMC: 6155644
MBChB, FRCA, FFICM. University of Birmingham Medical School
Specialist Areas: Intensive care medicine
Clinical interest: critical care Echocardiography, education supervision

Dr Alec Snow

GMC: 7074968
Qualifications: BSc (Hons.) MBChB MSc MRCS FRCA FFICM
Specialist Areas: Intensive Care Medicine, Point of care ultrasound, Prehabilitation, Digital Health and Health Innovation

Dr Peter Steed

GMC: 7016785
MBChB (Hons) Bristol, BSc (Hons), FRCA
Specialist Areas: Regional anaesthesia, Obstetric anaesthesia, Medical Education & Simulation Training
Departmental Roles: College Tutor

Dr Vivienne Thomas

GMC: 3549342
MB BS, FRCA
Specialist areas: obstetrics and paediatrics
Departmental responsibilities: endoscopy sedation service

Dr Malcolm Thornton

GMC: 4067742
MB, ChB, FRCA
Interests: ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia; ultrasound guided vascular access; difficult airway management; awake upper limb surgery

Dr Paul Watson

GMC: 7042113
Qualifications: BA (Hons) MBChB (Bristol), FRCA, FFPMRCA
Specialist areas: Pain Medicine, Regional Anaesthesia
Departmental responsibilities: Clinical Lead for Pain Services, educational supervisor
Other professional responsibilities: Faculty Tutor for Pain (RUH)
Interests: Ultrasound-guided interventional pain medicine & regional anaesthesia, neuroplasticity in chronic pain

Dr Sethina Watson

GMC: 7082791
Qualifications: BSc (Hons.) MBChB (Hons) MSc (with commendation), University of Bristol, FRCA
Interests: Regional anaesthesia, obstetric anaesthesia, prehospital emergency medicine, and EDI. Educational supervisor.

Dr Damien Wood

GMC: 4268952
MBBS (Qld Uni), FANZCA

Meet Our Specialist Anaesthetists & Speciality Doctors (SAS)

Dr Rachel Awan

GMC: 4093732
MBBS (University of Newcastle upon Tyne) FRCA
Departmental responsibilities:
Other professional responsibilities: Chair of the Staff and Associate Specialist Committee, Member of the Local Negotiating Committee
Interests: Obstetric anaesthesia, Preoperative assessment

Dr Muhammad Asif

GMC: 4593490
MBBS: University of Punjab, Lahore Pakistan

Dr Kamran Banan

GMC: 6070260
Qualified in Anaesthetics in 1993, Iran
Passed : FRCA 1 and Final FRCA
Specialist areas: Orthopaedics, maternity, general surgery

Dr Pete Forster

GMC: 4652944
MB BS (University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Areas of interest: Perioperative medicine and general

Dr Rebecca Gayner

GMC: 7427038
MB BS (University College London)
Areas of interest: Obstetrics

Dr Sara Keeley

GMC: 3587403
Qualified St Bartholomew's Medical School, London MBBS; FRCA Part 1 and 2
Areas of interest: Obstetrics

Dr Steve Laver

GMC: 3581452
MB ChB (Leeds)
Areas of interest: Urology and general

Dr Terren Ku

GMC: 6160809
MBBS at Barts and The London Medical School, Queen Mary University
Interests: Orthopaedic and general anaesthesia

Dr Malar Vizhi

GMC: 5198048
Qualifications: MBBS, Diploma in Anaesthesia & FRCA (Primary)
Areas of interest: cancer surgeries for colorectal and Breast

Dr Rebecca Williams

GMC: 7016809
Qualifications: BSc PGCE MBChB FRCA
Areas of Interest: Obstetric Anaesthesia, Trauma, Education

For GPs