Peter BRENNAN

Consultant Surgeon, Honorary Professor of Surgery

Professor Peter Brennan is a NHS Consultant Surgeon in Portsmouth, specialising in head and neck cancer. He has a personal chair for his research and education achievements. To date, Peter has published over 700 publications including more than 80 on Human Factors and patient safety. His HF work has changed the delivery of postgraduate surgery exam delivery in the UK and abroad.

Peter is a committed trainer and educator, collaborating across medical and surgical specialties. He won the coveted 2022 Silver Scalpel Award in recognition of excellence in training across all surgical specialties and was elected to the Royal College of Surgeons of England Council in 2020.

Peter is an editor of five specialty textbooks and Lead Editor of the new Gray’s Surgical Anatomy. The book begins with a chapter on HF and minimising error in the operating theatre. Peter has established unique collaborations with airline pilots, National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (Red Arrows). and HF experts. His work improves practice across surgical and medical specialties and includes reducing hierarchy, enhancing team working and raising awareness of many personal factors to reduce medical error.

He sees himself very much as an amateur in HF, but his work has gained a huge following and traction across healthcare both in the UK and abroad.

In 2019, he was awarded a PhD entitled ‘Applying HF to Improve Patient Safety.’ Peter promotes HF understanding in NHS Trusts and more widely to Medical and Surgical Societies, Royal Colleges and the GMC as well as numerous invitations by colleagues overseas.