Professor Deborah McNamara has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious surgical institutions. This honour recognises her outstanding contributions to surgical education, clinical leadership and service to the profession.

Following her appointment as Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at Beaumont Hospital in 2003, Professor McNamara went on to serve as Clinical Director for Surgery at the hospital. In this role, she led the development of Beaumont’s colorectal cancer biobank and played a key part in fostering research collaborations between Beaumont clinicians and RCSI-affiliated scientists. In 2014, she established the 'betterbeaumont' quality improvement learning collaborative, to support a wide range of hospital-based improvement initiatives.

Throughout her career, Prof. McNamara has held numerous leadership and teaching roles. She has led the Rectal Cancer Lead Clinician Group of the Health Service Executive (HSE) National Cancer Control Programme, and through her work with the National Clinical Programme for Surgery, she has supported colleagues across all surgical specialties to develop and publish evidence-based policies and care pathways designed to improve the delivery of surgical care in Ireland.

Since her election to the Council of RCSI in 2014, Prof. McNamara has made significant contributions as both a member and chair of several RCSI and national committees. She has served as Chair of the Committee for Surgical Affairs, Faculty President of the RCSI Surgical Society and Clinical Lead of the HSE/RCSI Transforming Theatre Healthcare Quality Improvement Programme.

Her exceptional contributions have been recognised through numerous national and international honours. Notable distinctions include Honorary Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons, the AWS Olga Jonasson Distinguished Member Award for outstanding mentorship and the Patey Prize. She has also delivered major lectures, including the 2019 Freyer State of the Art Lecture and the 2022 Robert Smith Lecture at the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland.

Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice Chancellor and CEO of RCSI, said: “On behalf of the entire RCSI community, I extend my warmest congratulations to Prof. McNamara on this richly deserved honour. Her dedication to surgical excellence, innovation and mentorship has had a profound impact on patient care and the surgical profession both in Ireland and internationally. This Fellowship reflects her exceptional leadership and lifelong commitment to advancement in surgical care.”

The Honorary Fellowship of RCSEd is awarded to distinguished individuals who have made exceptional contributions to surgery and healthcare. Prof. McNamara joins a global cohort of surgical leaders who have been recognised with this honour.