At NQPaedSurg, our goal is simple: to provide expert paediatric surgical care with compassion, understanding and a family-centred approach.
Dr Brendan O'Connor is a specialist paediatric surgeon with extensive international training and experience caring for babies, infants, children and adolescents with a wide range of surgical conditions. He completed his medical degree at University College Cork in Ireland and gained experience in General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery and Neonatology in Ireland and New Zealand, before undertaking more than eight years of specialist paediatric surgical training across leading children's hospitals in Ireland, Australia and the United Kingdom.
He was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Paediatric Surgery following completion of his specialist training and has developed expertise across all areas of general paediatric surgery, including neonatal surgery, minimally invasive surgery and the management of both common and complex childhood surgical conditions.
During his training, Dr Brend held senior positions at internationally recognised children's hospitals, including:
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Children's Health Ireland, Dublin
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The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
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Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
These experiences have shaped his approach to patient care: combining evidence-based medicine, technical excellence and genuine compassion for children and their families.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr Brend has maintained a strong commitment to teaching, research and improving patient safety. He holds a Master of Science in Human Factors in Patient Safety with First Class Honours and a Master in Surgery in Surgical Science, also awarded with First Class Honours. He has published extensively in international peer-reviewed journals, lectures regularly to healthcare professionals and medical students, and has been recognised with multiple awards from the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons, including the Gold Medal for outstanding performance in the Intercollegiate Fellowship Examination in the UK and Ireland. He is currently Associate Editor for Paediatric and Neonatal Surgery for BMJ Case reports, as well as being invited reviewer to multiple international journals, contributing to the academic rigour of new information published in his field.
Despite these achievements, what matters most to Dr Brend is helping children and supporting the people who love them. He understands that surgery can be an overwhelming experience for families. He has lived experience of being a patient for eighteen months in early childhood, undergoing multiple operations and gaining insight from his parents on the stresses they went through to get him the care he needed. He takes the time to listen, answer questions clearly and ensure parents feel informed and reassured when making decisions about their child's care.
After relocating to Townsville, North Queensland, in 2023 with his wife, Sophie—a neonatal intensive care nurse, accountant, and Practice Manager of North Queensland Paediatric Surgery—and welcoming their son, Finley, Dr Brend was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2025. He is passionate about improving access to specialist paediatric surgical services, ensuring children and families across North Queensland can receive expert care closer to home, reducing the burden of travelling long distances for treatment whenever possible.
When you entrust your child to NQPaedSurg, you can expect expert care, open communication and a team dedicated to achieving the very best outcomes for your child.
