A Portsmouth surgeon has expressed his astonishment after receiving an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours, describing himself as “literally blown away” by the extraordinary recognition for his outstanding surgical contributions.
Professor Peter Brennan, an NHS consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU), earned the honour for his exceptional contribution to surgery and enhanced patient care.
The moment of discovery proved surreal for Professor Brennan when he found the official correspondence awaiting him. He explained: “Following a brief absence from work, I returned to discover a letter bearing ‘On His Majesty’s Service’ Cabinet Office on the envelope. Spotting the words ‘Ceremonial Officer’, I genuinely began trembling.
“Upon reading the contents, I felt completely dumbfounded and overwhelmed. I’m genuinely blown away by this news and it represents the most extraordinary milestone of my entire career.”
Professor Brennan has served at PHU since 2003, specialising in head and neck cancer surgery. This recognition follows previous acclaim – he received the Silver Scalpel Awards in 2022, representing the pinnacle achievement for training across all ten UK surgical specialities.
Penny Emerit, chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust, commented: “We feel tremendous pride in Peter and his contributions, not only within Portsmouth but throughout the broader NHS.
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“He absolutely merits this recognition for his unwavering commitment and dedication towards improving patient safety and outcomes. Congratulations Peter.”
Throughout his career, Professor Brennan has focused on enhancing patient outcomes, including earning a PhD through research into applying human factors for improved patient safety, whilst delivering training and education across the NHS and internationally.
Professor Brennan continued: “I wish the public to understand that countless healthcare professionals, alongside patient safety experts and specialists from various disciplines, work tirelessly to enhance NHS safety. As humans, we all possess fallibility and regularly make errors and mistakes in both professional and personal contexts.
“This represents a ‘normal’ aspect of human nature, and unfortunately, error cannot be completely eliminated, though we can implement measures to reduce it. This principle has formed the foundation of my work throughout the past 15 years.
“I genuinely hope this honour will contribute to raising further awareness, enabling us all to discover methods for more proactive leadership in cultural change to advance patient safety even further.”
