MB ChB FRCP FRCA DICM EDIC PGCertMedEd AHEA FFICM MAcadMedEd HonFRCSLT PhD

Brendan qualified from the University of Sheffield and trained initially in general medicine in Yorkshire, the North East and then Australia. He returned to specialise in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, appointed as a consultant at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, at Wythenshawe Hospital in 2009. He was appointed Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre (MAHSC) Honorary Professor in 2022.

Brendan’s research interests in patient safety and airway management led to the initiation of the UK National Tracheostomy Safety Project, collaborating widely in developing educational resources to guide the multidisciplinary response to airway emergencies. Realising that the real work was in prevention of airway emergencies, Brendan helped to develop the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative in 2012, bringing together international expertise from Harvard to Melbourne with the goal of improving tracheostomy care ‘everywhere’ through quality improvement initiatives. Brendan has worked on and led a number of domestic and international quality improvement projects and research studies, securing significant grant funding. His contributions in his field were recognised by appointment as:

• Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre (MAHSC) Honorary Professor 2022
• Association of Anaesthetists Featherstone Professor 2021-3
• Difficult Airway Society Professor of Anaesthesia & Airway Management 2021
• Royal College of Anaesthetists Macintosh Professor 2021
• Visiting Professor to Harvard Medical School 2016
• NHS England National Clinical Advisor for Tracheostomy in 2015

Brendan continues in his NHS England role and remains European lead of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative, supporting UK and European sites to improve care for patients and their families.

Brendan and his team have won a number of awards for their work, including:

• Association of Anaesthetists Innovation Award 2023 (Bubble PAPR)
• British Medical Journal Award for Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine Team of the Year 2020
• Intensive Care Society Improvement Project Award 2020
• National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia Research Award 2019 

Outside of medicine, Brendan is entertained by a young(ish) family, plays guitar in the family rock band, "Death Metal Children of Rock," attempts to support Liverpool FC whilst living near Old Trafford, and tries to ride his road bike when it isn’t raining (too hard).

The University of Manchester Academic Critical Care Research Group (MACC) undertakes a number of research themes aimed at improving the short and long-term outcomes of critically ill patients. Our current research themes are focused on (a) the airway and lungs of critically ill patients and (b) diagnosis and optimal management of life-threatening infections and sepsis. The team has experience in the design and conduct of clinical trials in critically ill patients including experimental medicine studies (including pharmacokinetic studies), large randomised controlled trials and observational, cohort studies.

https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/macc/

Our purpose is to develop a collaborative academic centre of excellence with an international reputation, delivering significant benefits to critically ill patients in Manchester and beyond.

Our priority areas are:

• rapid diagnosis and optimal precision management of infection;
• optimal management of acute and chronic respiratory failure;
• optimal management of tracheostomy and the airway;
• preparation, perioperative management and rehabilitation of high-risk surgical patients who require critical care.

Consultant in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, Manchester University NHS FT

Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre (MAHSC) Honorary Professor 2022-present

Association of Anaesthetists Featherstone Professor 2021-3

Difficult Airway Society Professor of Anaesthesia & Airway Management 2021-present

Royal College of Anaesthetists Macintosh Professor 2021

Trevor Magill Visiting Professor, Harvard Medical School & Boston Children's Hospital 2016

NHS England National Clinical Advisor for Tracheostomy 2015-present

Chair & Director, National Tracheosotmy Safety Project 2009-present

European Lead, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative 2014-present

Committee member, Anaesthesia Research Society 2015-present

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians

Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Fellow of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine

Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists

Associate of the Higher Education Academy

Member of the Academy of Medical Educators 

Member of the Association of North Western Intensive Care Units

Member of the Difficulty Airway Society

Research grants totalling £9,404,274 since May 2014 from a variery of medical, engineering, commercial and other recognised funders.

Grants as lead applicant £2,399,860

Grants as co-applicant £7,004,414

Please see link for full details.

Improving the short and long-term outcomes of critically ill patients. Current research themes focused on (a) the airway and lungs of critically ill patients and (b) diagnosis and optimal management of life-threatening infections and sepsis. Design and conduct of clinical trials in critically ill patients including experimental medicine studies, large randomised controlled trials and observational, cohort studies and quality improvement / implemetation science.

Main focus is on research to improve the quality and safety of critically ill patients requiring a tracheostomy, which overlaps with laryngeal rehabilitation following critical illness and understanding why critically ill patients fail to be liberated from mechanical ventilation.