Controversies in obstetrics and gynaecology

Professor Linda Cardozo heads a busy and productive multidisciplinary tertiary referral urogynaecology department undertaking a large clinical workload dealing with complex urogynaecological problems. The department offers a wide range of diagnostic procedures conservative and drug therapy and prides itself on the ability to undertake many invasive procedures in an ambulatory setting. However, there are also appropriate facilities for both day surgery and more major inpatient procedures.  

Professor Cardozo believes that education is of paramount importance and the unit prides itself on teaching medical students and training junior doctors and other healthcare professionals. To date, 9 subspecialty trainees and over 50 fellows have developed their urogynaecological skills at King’s generating 18 higher degrees, MD’s and PhD’s as well as numerous publications and presentations at international meetings.

Professor Cardozo has directed this clinical research and her publications include more than 700 original papers in peer review journals, 26 books and 150 book chapters. Her H factor is 72 and she is a member of the Editorial Board of 6 scientific journals.    

Mr Pat O’Brien is a Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and Vice President for membership of the RCOG. He recently helped lead the College’s early response to the COVID pandemic.

At UCLH he spent time as Divisional Clinical Director for Women’s Health and Governance Lead. An RCOG Council member since 2014, he has sat on a range of committees and working parties at the RCOG and Department of Health and is a media spokesperson for the RCOG. He has been chair of the International Section of the Institute for Women’s Health in London, and Chair of the Clinical Research Hubs Network Portfolio Board, UCLH.

He is the immediate past Secretary, and President-Elect, of the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Council of the Royal Society of Medicine. He has until recently been chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at the Portland Hospital and chair of the Women’s Health Division of HCA in the UK. He is a patron of the charity SafeHands for Mothers which works to promote women’s health in low-income countries.

Pat qualified as a doctor in Ireland, but his postgraduate training in Obstetrics & Gynaecology was in London. He specialises in Maternal Medicine and ‘high risk’ obstetrics. He has a particular interest in the use of misoprostol in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, thrombophilia and cardiac disease in pregnancy, and the effects of obesity on pregnancy.