Rachel Bell

Rachel Bell

Consultant Vascular Surgeon

Freeman Hospital

Newcastle

Miss Rachel Bell is a consultant vascular surgeon at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

She qualified, with distinction in surgery, from United Medical & Dental Schools of Guy’s & St.Thomas’ in 1994 and did her surgical training in London and the South East Thames rotation. She was appointed as a consultant at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in 2005 and was the clinical lead for vascular surgery for GSTT from 2008-2016 and she helped lead the reconfiguration of vascular services across South East London. She went on to be the Clinical Director of Cardiovascular services at GSTT and the Vascular Network Director for SE London.  After 15 years in London she relocated back to the North East and was appointed as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at the Freeman Hospital in 2020.

Rachel is the national GIRFT lead for Vascular Surgery and the immediate past President of the of the Vascular Society of Great Britain & Ireland. She has been the Chair of the Circulation Foundation (UK Charity supporting patients with vascular disease) and is a past President of the British Society of Endovascular Therapy. She represents the North East region on the NHSE Clinical Reference Group for Vascular Surgery. She is also part of a multidisciplinary national team involved in rolling out the Aortic Dissection Toolkit, aimed at improving the care provided for patients presenting with acute aortic syndromes.

Her clinical interests include aortic aneurysm repair, aortic dissection, open thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair and the surgery and management of vascular graft infection. She is also interested in sustainable and innovative healthcare system improvement, staff wellbeing and prevention of burnout.