Prof. Irving graduated from London University in 1985 and undertook his training in London, Cambridge, and San Francisco. During his training, he was awarded a fellowship to the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, and the Causse Ear Clinic, France. He was awarded the intercollegiate gold medal for best performance in the Fellowship of the Royal College for Surgeons in 1996.

In 1997, Prof. Irving was appointed Consultant Otolaryngologist & Skull Base Surgeon at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth and Children’s Hospitals, UK, and he still works there up till now. He is an Honorary Professor at Brunel University, UK. He offers specialist expertise in all aspects of ear disease, medically and surgically, in both adults and children.

Richard provides a highly specialized service and offers expertise in otology, neurotology, and base of skull surgery. His interests include hearing loss, chronic ear disease, tinnitus, and vertigo. Richard manages a facial paralysis service and is also involved in treating tumors of the skull base and restoring hearing using middle ear and cochlear implants.

He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on a variety of subjects related to ear diseases, facial paralysis, and skull base tumors. Prof. Irving serves on the editorial board of several journals and has worked with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop guidelines to manage hearing loss in the UK.

Prof. Irving lectures regularly at national and international conferences. He assists with training overseas surgeons and works as an advisor and a surgeon to teams in India, Bangladesh, and Oman.

He is the past President of the British Society of Otology, past President of the Royal Society of Medicine Section of Otology, and President-Elect of the British Skull Base Society.