Dr Ramai Santhirapala

Dr Ramai Santhirapala
Council Member

Qualifications
FRCA, FFICM, FHEA

Term of office on Council
March 2021 to 2027

Hospital
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London

Biography 
Dr Ramai Santhirapala qualified from University College London (UCL), and undertook her dual certified UK training in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine in East Anglia and London.  She was appointed as a Consultant Anaesthetist and Perioperative Medicine Lead at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in 2018.

During her time as an anaesthetist, Ramai has published in the remit of novel devices, perioperative care, shared decision making and digital innovation. She has worked closely with the College (including the Centre of Perioperative Care) since 2015 through her prior role at the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. She has a keen interest in ensuring healthcare decisions are made in partnership with patients (‘no decision about me, without me’) and has represented the specialties of anaesthesia and perioperative care at national and international level within this remit. Ramai joined the College as a Council member at an unprecedented time of a global pandemic; one that has not only highlighted the brilliance of the specialty of anaesthesia but also the challenges. She is a firm advocate that workforce wellbeing lies at the heart of high quality patient care. As someone who remains rooted in Sri Lankan culture, Ramai believes an inclusive and diverse workforce brings opportunities, fresh perspectives and creative solutions – another area for which she strongly advocates. In her time as a Council member, she has held the role of Board Chair including Editor for the Bulletin and remains the Wellbeing Lead and Digital Lead for Council alongside her assignment to the Centre of Perioperative Care Board and her appointment to Board of Trustees.


Outside medicine, Ramai is a keen writer and is a correspondent for the international magazine Hinduism Today and is an occasional blogger. She enjoys yoga, hiking and is an amateur veena player. 

Register of Interests

  • Clinical Advisor, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
  • NHS England Clinical Entrepreneur
  • Reviewer, British Journal of Anaesthesia
  • Employee of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust