Specialist Division – Anaesthesia

Candidates nominated in the Specialist Division – Anaesthesia are as follows:

• Dr Georgina Flood (Registration Number: 321315)
• Dr Brian Patrick Joseph O'Brien (Registration Number: 018422)
• Dr Khalid Rasheed (Registration Number: 021642)
• Dr Ehtesham Izhar Khan (Registration Number: 049848)
• Dr David Michael Honan (Registration Number 013213)

How to Vote - Please note voting is now closed

• Voting commenced at 12 noon on 6th February, 2026
• Voting closed at 12 noon on 26th February, 2026.
• All registered medical practitioners (as at 12 noon, on 23rd January, 2026) were entitled to vote electronically in the election.
• To vote in the Medical Council Elections from 6th February 2026, a link was sent by email to the current email address we had in your Medical Council record (by the cut-off date set out above). You will follow the link to cast your vote. 
• It was the responsibility of all doctors to ensure that their contact information was up to date (by the cut-off date set out above) to guarantee receipt of the voting link email.
• The voting process is overseen by an independent returning officer
• The newly appointed Council members will begin their term on June 1st 2026.

Further information on candidates in other categories can be found here. 

Candidate Biographies

Candidates have provided the following biographies.

Dr Georgina Flood (Registration Number: 321315)

Dr. Georgina Flood studied medicine in London & following internship & a medical SHO post, trained in anaesthesiology. During training she worked in London & the South-West regions of the UK, completing a research fellowship in Oxford investigating perioperative cardiac risk. She was awarded dual CCST in anaesthesia & intensive care medicine in 2009.

In 2008, she relocated to Ireland undertaking a cardiothoracic anaesthesiology fellowship at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH), Dublin. In 2011, she commenced her substantive Consultant appointment at MMUH & was subsequently made Associate Clinical Professor with UCD. Since appointment, she has been actively involved in the Division of anaesthesiology, intensive care & pain medicine, acting as Honorary Secretary for 5 years & Chair for 3 years.

Her anaesthetic practice spans a variety of surgical specialties across the public & private sectors with more than 25 years’ experience in anaesthesiology. She was a
member of the CAI, Model of Care for Anaesthesiology working group in 2019. She currently sits on the Medical Advisory Board of the Mater Private Hospital, a role she has undertaken for 4 years, & has 20 years’ experience of lecturing internationally as an invited speaker. Her involvement with the Mater Research Ethics Committee (REC) dates back to 2013 & she has chaired the committee since 2022. She also chaired the NICB National REC until its work completed. In addition to her clinical interests, REC & management work, she enjoys the law & in 2025 was conferred the Diploma in Law from the Law Society of Ireland.

As her career demonstrates, Dr Flood has contemporary experience of anaesthesiology, healthcare management & ethics, along with an interest & qualification in the law; all of which would see her well placed to sit on the Medical Council, advocating for patients & doctors within Ireland.

Dr Brian Patrick Joseph O'Brien (Registration Number: 018422)

Originally from Dublin and a graduate of UCD in Medicine and Physiology, Dr Brian O’Brien is an anesthesia and intensive care consultant in Cork University Hospital. He served as Head of department there for over 10 years, and at various times was Chairman of training, Inspector of hospitals and Vice President at the College of Anesthesiologists of Ireland and on the Council of the Intensive Care Society of Ireland. He is also currently the Clinical Director of Organ Donation Transplant Ireland, in which role he oversaw the development and implementation of the Opt out register for organ donation in 2025.

He is a post graduate Examiner in the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine Examinations and for undergraduate medical examinations at UCC where he is a Clinical Lecturer. His clinical practice in anesthesia is quite broad, covering cardiac, neurological, ophthalmic and general surgery among many disciplines. His research interests include medical history, recovery and outcomes after critical care, the anesthesia management of rare diseases and the management of overdoses.

Dr Khalid Rasheed (Registration Number: 021642)

Dr Khalid Rasheed is an experienced Consultant Anaesthetist with a passion for excellence in healthcare, with more than thirty years in his field of practice. He has had the privilege of working in a diverse range of healthcare systems - contributing to both clinical care and the advancement of teaching programmes.

After completing his medical degree from Pakistan, he moved to Ireland in 1997 to pursue higher training in the field of anaesthesia. Dr Rasheed did most of his training rotations in Dublin hospitals and also in CUH and a few in peripheral hospitals. He completed his FCA RCSI in 2003. He worked as a Consultant Anaesthetist in the HSE for more than a decade. Additionally, he worked as a Consultant in a large teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for five years. He is currently working in private healthcare - based in the Beacon Hospital and various regional private hospitals.

His experience also encompasses teaching, patient safety and clinical governance by participating in various committees in these healthcare systems. He is currently a sitting medical member of the Preliminary Proceeding Committee of the Medical Council of Ireland– a role that he is enjoying since 2023.

Dr Rasheed is passionate about patient safety and teaching. He has played key roles in safety committees, shaping policies and practices that enhance patient outcomes. He is currently a lead for ophthalmic anaesthesia and paediatric anaesthesia at CMPH. Additionally, he helped establish a regional anaesthesia teaching curriculum at his hospital in Riyadh.

Becoming an elected member of the Medical Council would allow Dr Rasheed to promote patient safety and help doctors to maintain a high standard of professional competence and care. He trusts his experience in multiple healthcare systems has also allowed him to better understand how to improve efficiencies and challenges within the rapidly evolving Irish healthcare system.

Dr Ehtesham Izhar Khan (Registration Number: 049848)

Dr Ehtesham Khan is a Consultant Anaesthetist and Intensivist with over three decades of clinical, academic, and leadership experience in Ireland and internationally. He has been a Consultant at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, since 2008 and at present Chair of the Department of Anaesthesiology. He is on the Specialist Register of anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine of the Medical Council of Ireland. His career reflects a sustained commitment to patient safety, professional standards, education, and fair medical regulation.

Dr Khan has held senior national leadership roles, including Vice President and Council Member of the College of Anaesthesiology of Ireland, Chair of the National Clinical Programme in Anaesthesia, Chair of CAI credential committee and membership of national training, governance, and audit bodies. He has extensive experience working with the HSE, postgraduate training structures, and regulatory frameworks, giving him a balanced understanding of both frontline clinical realities and system-level decision-making.

Education and professional development have been central to his work. Dr Khan is an experienced undergraduate and postgraduate teacher and examiner in Ireland, Europe, and internationally, and has played a key role in shaping examinations, fellowship programmes, and training standards. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications and led multiple audits and quality-improvement initiatives focused on patient safety and service improvement.

Standing for election to the Medical Council, Dr Khan is committed to strong, fair, and transparent regulation that protects patients, while also supporting doctors in their professional practice. He believes the Medical Council must remain independent, proportionate, and compassionate, with clear communication and due process at its core. If elected, he will bring experience, integrity, and a practical clinician’s perspective to represent doctors responsibly while upholding the highest standards of medical practice in Ireland.

Dr David Michael Honan (Registration Number 013213)

I have been a Consultant in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Wexford General Hospital for over 20 years. Prior to that, having completed Specialist Training in Ireland, I was a Senior Clinical Fellow at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, U.K., and a Conway Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology at UCD. I am a Fellow of the Faculty of Anaesthetists RCSI and a Fellow of the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of Ireland, with Specialist Registration in both. I also hold an MSc (Physiology) by Thesis on Original Research, from UCD.

In terms of relevant Governance experience, I am the Immediate Past Convenor of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (Irish Standing Committee) and have also served over 14 years on the Council of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, chairing various Committees including Quality & Safety, the Professional Competency Scheme, Examinations and Credentials.

I also have a strong interest in Medico-Legal matters, and in Medical Regulation. I studied Law at King’s Inns, obtaining the Diploma in Legal Studies, and subsequently the Degree of Barrister-at-Law and Call to the Bar of Ireland. I have also been co-opted to sit on the Graduate Members’ Committee of the Council of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In addition, I already currently serve as a co-opt to two Medical Council Committees, the
Fitness to Practise (FTP) Committee and Registration and Continuing Practice (RCP) Committee.

Like many doctors, I have a growing concern that the Regulator may be losing the support of the Medical Profession in Ireland, and that it is increasingly being seen as less-than- fit-for-purpose. This arises from some worrying decisions which have emerged over the past decade, both with changes to the Ethical guide at macro-level, and proportionality issues at micro-level. If elected, I would aim to play a part in restoring the confidence of the Profession in the Regulator.