Professor Farah Bhatti
Professor Farah Bhatti OBE is a distinguished British cardiothoracic surgeon, academic leader, and champion for inclusion in medicine. Born in Birmingham and raised in South London, she is of Pakistani heritage and knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in medicine .
She earned a BA in Physiological Sciences at Somerville College, Oxford (1987), then completed her clinical degrees (MB BChir) at Jesus College, Cambridge in 1990, where her passion for heart surgery was ignited Her early clinical training included working for Professor Sir Roy Calne. She gained her FRCS in 1994 and subsequently undertook placements at premier London institutions such as The Royal Brompton and Harefield. She pursued full time research in cardiac xenotransplantation at Cambridge University and Papworth Hospital, culminating in an MD in 2004. In the same year she became earned her FRCS (Cardiothoracic Surgery).
In 2007, she broke new ground by becoming the first woman consultant cardiac surgeon in Wales, appointed at Morriston Hospital, Swansea. She was also the first British woman of Pakistani heritage to hold that position in the UK. Her leadership extends beyond the operating theatre: she led equality and diversity initiatives at Swansea Medical School’s Graduate Entry Medicine programme and was awarded an Honorary Professorship at Swansea University in 2015 for her contributions to medical education, equality, and inclusion
Professor Bhatti has held several high-profile leadership roles including the Chair of the Women in Surgery Forum at The Royal College of Surgeons of England from 2916-2021. She is the only female Cardiac Surgeon to have ever been elected onto the Council of RCS England, where she has worked across a range of portfolios including Global, Membership Engagement, Workforce and Training and currently Chairs the Quality Assurance work and is the College Lead for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
She was the Medical Student Engagement Lead for The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland from 2021-2024, encouraging widening participation in the specialty. Wider work includes contributing to the GMC and the NHS BAME Clinical Advisory inclusion forum. Her research contributions span transplantation, cardiac surgery, immunological responses to cardiac devices and equity in surgery.
Her advocacy has earned her recognition and honors including Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2021 for “Services to Diversity in the NHS in Wales,” which she dedicated to her parents. She was also elected as Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2022. In June 2025 she was ratified as the President-Elect of the British Medical Association.
In summary, Professor Bhatti’s career is a blend of clinical excellence and transformative leadership. A pioneering cardiac surgeon, outstanding educator, and tireless equality advocate, she continues to shape the future of health care - both at the operating table and beyond.