Heritage Series Episode 3: 75 Years of the NHS

Join Anna Maria Rollin as she talks to David Wilkinson and Karan Verma, who bring perspectives from different ends of the age spectrum, in this podcast recorded for the 75th anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service.

Anna Maria, David, and Karan discuss how the creation of the NHS changed anaesthesia, how the practice has developed in the decades since, and where the health service might be on its 80th, 90th and 100th anniversaries.

This is the third episode in a series of podcasts devised by the RCoA Heritage and Archive  Committee to look at the history of the College and the history of anaesthesia.  The series is chaired by Dr Anna Maria Rollin, Chair of  the RCoA Heritage and Archive Committee

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(Recorded 4th July 2023)

Dr David Wilkinson

Dr David Wilkinson is a Retired Consultant Anaesthetist, Boyle Department of Anaesthesia, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London EC1A 7BE, UK.

He was President, World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists 2012-16, Wood Library Museum Laureate in History of Anaesthesia 2008-2012 and President of History of Anaesthesia Society 2006-2008.

He is also the author of multiple chapters, papers and presentations on day stay surgery and the history of anaesthesia.

Dr Karan Verma

Karan Verma is a ST5 Anaesthetics trainee in the East of England deanery. Originally a graduate of Government Medical College, Chandigarh India, his pursuit of the FRCA brought him to the UK as MTI Fellow in 2015. He fell in love with the NHS and so sought to continue working here.  

Karan took a PG Cert in MedEd from the Univ. of Buckingham and is now a Fellow of Higher Education (FHEA), and recently served the initial 2-year term of the BJA / ARS Social Media Fellow until 2022.  

Karan has volunteered with the RCoA on various fronts, including as RCoA Education Programme & Quality Working Group, Clinical Content Lead for RCoA Updates in April 2021 and currently as a trainee member of the RCoA Heritage & Archives Committee.

He is presently involved with the University of East Anglia facilitating MBBS interview admissions and Year 4 Standard Setting process.

Dr Anna Maria Rollin MBE

Maria worked in the NHS throughout her professional career and spent 34 years as a consultant anaesthetist at Epsom General Hospital.  

She was a Member of Council of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, and ultimately Senior Vice-President. Thereafter, she held the post of Clinical Quality Adviser to the College. She is currently Chair of the Heritage and Archives Committee at the College. 

She has always had an interest in patient information and patient safety, and worked as a GMC Associate until 2022. 

Most of her publications have been concerned with standard setting, quality assurance and safety and she is the author or co-author of several national guidelines.

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