2024 Council Election Results for Four Ordinary Councillors
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is delighted to announce the election of four new Ordinary Councillors to the College Council.
Fellows of the College have elected Professor Aine Carroll and Dr Laura Durcan as Ordinary Councillors for Medicine, Dr Pamela O’Connor as the Ordinary Councillor for Paediatrics, and Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan as the Ordinary Councillor for Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Professor Aine Carroll
Professor Aine Carroll, Professor of Healthcare Integration and Improvement at University College Dublin and Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine at the NRH in Dublin, has dedicated her career to blending academic rigour with practical clinical expertise.
In her leadership roles, Professor Carroll has significantly influenced the field of integrated care. As Chair of the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), she has led initiatives to promote integrated care models both nationally and globally. Her previous role as National Director of the Clinical Strategy and Programmes Division in the HSE saw her spearheading systemic change through the establishment of Integrated Care Programmes.
Professor Carroll’s longstanding association with the RCPI highlights her dedication to advancing medical education and healthcare standards. Her contributions include serving as a member of the MRCP Part 1 Board (2023-current), an elected RCPI Council member (2015-2020), and the ICHMT Professional Competence Schemes (PCS) Representative for RCPI (2019-2020). She also served as National Specialty Director for Rehabilitation. Professor Carroll has been involved in several key committees, such as the Governance Oversight Group, the GDPR Professional Policy Group, and the Finance Audit and Risk Committee (FinARC).
Professor Carroll said: “With a global perspective gained through advising healthcare leaders, I am adept at evaluating complex interventions within healthcare systems. Driven by a belief in the transformative power of training, education, and research in healthcare, I am committed to upholding RCPI's mission of excellence."
Dr Laura Durcan
Dr Laura Durcan is a Rheumatologist, Physician and Associate Clinical Director at Beaumont Hospital, and she previously served as Vice-President of the IHCA.
Dr Durcan is deeply committed to addressing the challenges faced by non-scheme doctors, many of whom are overseas professionals who play a crucial role in the Irish healthcare system but often struggle to receive proper recognition for their training. Additionally, she is eager to normalise, encourage and facilitate the pursuit of a balanced life for Trainees, helping them to manage both their professional and personal lives. She believes that improving working conditions for doctors in training is essential to ensure they continue to thrive as physicians.
Dr Durcan added: “I want to champion and support the work of the medical registrars on call and highlight the crucial importance of medical-call and good medical care in our health system. Part of this will be lending our support to the need for an integrated national IT system.”
Dr Pamela O’Connor
Dr Pamela O’Connor is a dedicated Neonatologist and Paediatrician at The Coombe Hospital and Children’s Health Ireland. She graduated from UCG and pursued her training in paediatrics and neonatology in both Ireland and the USA, completing a fellowship in Neonatal Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. In 2004, she was honoured with FRCPI and FFPAED.
From 2004 to 2019, Dr O’Connor led the neonatology department at Crumlin Hospital, a national referral centre for complex surgical neonatology. She actively contributes to several hospital and national committees, including the RCPI Neonatal Clinical Advisory Group and the Expert Advisory Group on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. As an educator, she has been a BST and HST Trainer since 2004. Dr O’Connor served as a Fellow Representative on the Board of the Faculty of Paediatrics from 2019 to 2023, also supporting the Dean as Vice Dean. She is a Board Director of Helium Arts, a national charity that facilitates children with health disabilities to partake in arts projects.
Since 2020, Dr O’Connor has represented Paediatrics on the RCPI Council and is a member of the RCPI Credentials Committee. Reflecting on her role, she says, “At this time of major change in Irish paediatrics, the role of the College and Council is vital to ensure that the children of Ireland thrive and grow up to have their best lifelong health.”
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan is an accomplished Obstetrician, Gynaecologist, and subspecialist Urogynaecologist based at CUMH. A 1992 graduate of UCD, she has been deeply involved in postgraduate training with RCPI since 2013, serving as National Specialty Director for BST and HST, and currently holds the position of National Director of Training at the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Dr O’Sullivan led the expansion of our HST scheme and development of an advanced simulation programme as well as the conversion to an OBE curriculum. Her leadership in these areas was recognised with the first NDTP Excellence in Medical Education award in 2018 for the simulation project.
Dr O’Sullivan has a strong interest in improving workforce planning and service provision in women’s health and has presented and published on issues in our specialty and the impact of litigation. From 2013 to 2017, she served as President of the Continence Foundation of Ireland and chaired the Urogynaecology National Clinical Guideline Development Group for the NWIHP in 2020. As the senior author of the National Guideline on the Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence published in 2023, she continues to contribute significantly to the field.
She also serves on the National Clinical Advisory Group for Maternity and Gynaecology Services with NWIHP and has worked with the National Women’s Taskforce on pelvic health and training, as well as the Global Health Steering Group. Additionally, Dr O’Sullivan is co-director of the European Board-Certified subspecialty Urogynaecology training programme in Cork and is a member of the National Mesh Oversight Group. She currently represents the ROI Fellows on the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Council. Dr O’Sullivan said: “I am committed to advocating for our specialty in the interests of patients and care providers.”
Council is the governing body of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. It sets the College's mission, vision and strategic direction, and approves general policies. Council also ensures the accountability of RCPI by monitoring and supporting the implementation of policies, directives and general functions.
The appointed Ordinary Councillors will contribute to the College’s strategic development through leadership, support and advocacy roles.