Miss Sarah Richards

Consultant Laparoscopic and General Surgeon

MB ChB MD FRCS (General Surg) | GMC Number: C4406095

Sarah Richards graduated in Medicine from the University of Bristol in 1997 (MBChB) and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS) in 2010. She completed a Doctorate in Medicine (MD) and Specialist Higher Surgical Training across leading units in the South West and Cambridge, gaining broad experience in advanced general, upper gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery.
Miss Richards is a highly experienced consultant surgeon specialising in complex gallbladder, bile duct and hernia surgery. She is skilled in laparoscopic (keyhole), robotic-assisted and open techniques, enabling her to tailor the surgical approach to each patient and to manage both routine and technically challenging cases.

Her biliary practice includes laparoscopic and robotic-assisted gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), as well as advanced procedures such as surgical exploration of the common bile duct to remove stones where appropriate. She is formally trained and qualified to use the da Vinci robotic surgical system and performs robotic-assisted cholecystectomy and robotic-assisted hernia repair, alongside established laparoscopic and open approaches.

She was appointed in Bath in 2013 as the first female Consultant General Surgeon. Since then, she has developed a national reputation for advancing day-case keyhole surgery pathways, with her work adopted by hospitals across the UK and internationally.

Alongside her clinical practice, Sarah has an extensive background in medical leadership. She has served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Acting Chief Medical Officer at the Royal United Hospital and is currently Medical Director at Sulis Hospital. She is has also previously been a National Clinical Lead at NHS England and Specialty Advisor to the Royal College of Surgeons.

Her contributions to surgery and education have been widely recognised. She has received multiple awards, including Surgical Trainer of the Year for the South West, and has published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals.

To discover more about robotic surgery visit bathroboticsurgery.net.

Sarah is committed to delivering compassionate, patient-centred care:

“I always put patients at the centre of everything I do professionally. I see it as my job to listen compassionately and establish an excellent doctor–patient relationship based on trust. Once this has been established, we can discuss together what treatment options may be best.