Frank Smith

Who Frank Smith is

Professor Frank Smith is Emeritus Professor of Vascular Surgery and Surgical Education at the University of Bristol and Vice President and Trustee of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), a role to which he was elected in 2024 for a three-year term. He trained in vascular surgery in the West Midlands, Edinburgh and the South-West, undertaking travelling fellowships to Boston, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle. He has held roles including Chair of the Intercollegiate Board for Basic Surgical Examinations (MRCS) for the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons (2017–20), Lead for National Vascular Trainee Selection (2015–18), and Programme Director for the Confidential Reporting System for Surgery (CORESS, 2008–23). In 2025, he was appointed by the Minister of Health as a Non-Executive Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In press commentary he has consistently argued for capital investment in NHS infrastructure — particularly operating theatres — as essential to reducing surgical waiting lists, and has raised concerns about the impact of cancelled elective operations on patients.

References for this biography

1. 1.Welcoming our new Vice-President 2024 — Royal College of Surgeons — Confirms election as Vice President of RCS England in May 2024 for a three-year term from July 2024; academic role at University of Bristol
2. 2.Board of Trustees — Royal College of Surgeons of England — Full career biography: training, RCS roles, CORESS, NatSSIPs, NICE NED appointment in 2025
3. 3.College Council — Royal College of Surgeons of England — Confirms Council membership, Vice Presidency, and career history including vascular SAC and training roles
4. 4.CORESS | Professor Frank Smith — Confirms MRCS Chair, CORESS Programme Director role, surgical safety work, and NICE NED appointment
5. 5.Surgeons respond to study finding widespread cancellations and postponements of NHS elective surgery — Royal College of Surgeons — Recent press quote (April 2026) on elective surgery cancellations and perioperative care; confirms current Vice President role
6. 6.Surgeons warn waiting times will falter without capital investment — Healthcare Management — Third-party press coverage quoting Smith on NHS infrastructure investment and waiting lists
7. 7.Surgeons respond to Government's 10 Year Capital Plan to 'rebuild the NHS' — Royal College of Surgeons — Press release (July 2026) quoting Smith on NHS capital investment and elective surgery backlogs
8. 8.Board members | NICE — Confirms Frank Smith's membership on the NICE board and his RCS England Vice Presidency and Council tenure (2020–28)
9. 9.Contact us — Royal College of Surgeons of England — RCS England head-office address (38–43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE) and press office contact details

Notable achievements

• Elected Vice President and Trustee of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2024 for a three-year term commencing July 2024. Source ↗
• Appointed by the Minister of Health as Non-Executive Director of NICE in 2025. Source ↗
• Chaired the Intercollegiate Board for Basic Surgical Examinations (MRCS) on behalf of the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons of the UK and Ireland (2017–20). Source ↗
• Served as Programme Director for the Confidential Reporting System for Surgery (CORESS) from 2008 to 2023. Source ↗
• Contributed to developing the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs) through roles with NCEPOD and the NHS England Never Events Task Force. Source ↗

What Frank Smith has said

• “Our message to the new secretary of state is clear: if the Government wants waiting lists to fall faster, reform must be matched with investment. Expanding theatre capacity, increasing bed numbers and modernising NHS infrastructure will give teams the headroom to treat more patients and reduce waits more quickly.”

  Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · NHS waiting lists · 30 Sept 2026 · ​Waiting list progress stalls in April ↗

• “Our analysis shows that, if the pace of improvement seen over the last two years continues, no region in England will restore the 18-week standard by 2029.”

  Vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · NHS waiting lists · 30 Sept 2026 · NHS waiting list reaches 6.21 million patients after ‘busiest summer in history’ ↗

• “The NHS has made progress in reducing waiting times, which is a credit to the enormous efforts of staff. However, our analysis shows that, if the pace of improvement seen over the last two years continues, no region in England will restore the 18-week standard by 2029.”

  vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · NHS waiting lists · 29 Sept 2026 · NHS waiting list rises for third time in four months ↗

• “Current improvement rates are insufficient, warning that no region in England is on track to restore the 18-week standard by the end of the decade.”

  vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · NHS waiting lists · 29 Sept 2026 · NHS waiting list hits 6.21 million after busiest summer in history ↗

• “Our analysis shows that, if the pace of improvement seen over the last two years continues, no region in England will restore the 18-week standard by 2029.”

  Vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · NHS waiting lists · 29 Sept 2026 · NHS waiting list reaches 6.21 million patients after ‘busiest summer in history’ ↗

• “no region in England will restore the 18-week standard by 2029”

  Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) vice-president · NHS waiting lists · 14 Sept 2026 · NHS Logs Busiest Summer Yet as A&E Waits Persist ↗

• “Crumbling hospital buildings are leading surgeons to have to compete for space, directly contributing to delays and leaving patients waiting for the care they need.”

  vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons · NHS waiting lists · 8 Sept 2026 · Doctors warn hospitals under pressure ↗

• “High-quality care before and after surgery is just as important as the operation itself. The findings underline the need for earlier, better coordinated care so patients are in the best possible condition when they reach the operating theatre.”

  vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · One in 10 operations in England cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice ↗

• “While there has been progress in reducing the longest waits overall, too many patients are still waiting longer than the NHS's 18-week standard for the surgery they need.”

  Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · NHS waiting lists · 12 Aug 2026 · Overall waiting lists increase in the UK ↗

Where Frank Smith has been quoted

1. More Brits going abroad for leg-lengthening surgery to get taller – but it comes with ‘serious complications’independent.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
2. ​Waiting list progress stalls in Aprilhealthcare-management.uk · 30 Sept 2026
3. NHS waiting list reaches 6.21 million patients after ‘busiest summer in history’nz.news.yahoo.com · 30 Sept 2026
4. NHS waiting list rises for third time in four monthshealthcare-management.uk · 29 Sept 2026
5. NHS waiting list hits 6.21 million after busiest summer in historystreamlinefeed.co.ke · 29 Sept 2026
6. NHS waiting list reaches 6.21 million patients after ‘busiest summer in history’independent.co.uk · 29 Sept 2026
7. NHS Logs Busiest Summer Yet as A&E Waits Persistmedscape.com · 14 Sept 2026
8. Doctors warn hospitals under pressurebbc.com · 8 Sept 2026
9. One in 10 operations in England cancelled with less than 24 hours’ noticetheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
10. Overall waiting lists increase in the UKhealthcaretoday.com · 12 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Leaders in Care Awards 2026 | Lifetime Achievement: Care Homes winner revealedHome Care Insight
• GP architect of neighbourhood health reforms to leave NHS EnglandPulse Today
• An important step forward in ending corridor care - Colin Poolman | Blog | RCN ScotlandRoyal College of Nursing

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about-the-rcs/college-governance/board-trustees/
• Staff pagehttps://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about-the-rcs/college-governance/council/
• Press office emailpressoffice@rcseng.ac.ukpublished here ↗
• Press office phone020 7869 6053published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-smith-15b68b80/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.