Frank Smith

Professor Frank Smith is Emeritus Professor of Vascular Surgery and Surgical Education at the University of Bristol. 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 was elected to Council for a second term and to the role of Vice President and Trustee in 2024. Frank was recipient of an RCS England research pump-priming grant and College Tutor for Basic Surgical Skills before becoming South-West Regional Specialty Advisor for General and Vascular Surgery (2008–13). He has been a Council member of the Vascular Society, ASGBI, and Honorary Secretary and Scientific Programme Director for the SRS. He sat on both General and Vascular SACs (2010–18), where he was liaison member for Northern Ireland. He was Lead for National Vascular Trainee Selection (2015–18), and President of the Section of Surgery at the Royal Society of Medicine (2012–13). He chaired the South-West (Severn and Peninsular) Regional Surgical Training Committee (2014–18). From 2008–23, he was Programme Director for the Confidential Reporting System for Surgery (CORESS). Interests in surgical safety have since included roles with NCEPOD; NHS England Never Events Task Force; developing the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs); as member of the NICE Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee, and as editorial advisor to RCS England Safety Bulletins. He was Chair of ICBSE (2017–20), is an Assessor for the Intercollegiate MRCS on behalf of the four royal colleges of surgeons, JCIE Examiner for the FRCS (Vasc), and Examiner/Assessor for the UEMS FEBVS examination. In 2025, he was appointed by the Minister of Health to the role of Non-Executive Director of the National Institute of Health & Care Excellence (NICE). Frank currently chairs the Learning & Assessment and the Workforce & Training Standing Committees of the College, the Regional Committee and the Invited Review Mechanism. He was previously Chair of the Dental & Surgical Examinations Committee. Interests away from surgery include his family and triathlon. He has over 1,200 hours as a fixed wing, seaplane and helicopter private pilot, and has represented GB in competitive skydiving in which he has around 1,800 freefall jumps.