Professor Ray McLaughlin MCh, FRCSI, Adv. Dip in Med Law

Professor McLaughlin works as a Consultant General Surgeon at University College Hospital Galway and the Blackrock Health Galway Clinic. He qualified from National University of Ireland Galway with an M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O in 1993 and became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1996, as well as Masters of Surgery degree in 1999 and an intercollegiate Fellowship in General Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons in 2002.

His surgical practice covers both elective and emergency general surgery as well as a specialist interest in breast cancer. In addition to being lead clinician for the cancer service, he has also served terms as peri-operative clinical director, lead for emergency general surgery and gastrointestinal endoscopy lead clinician.

In addition to clinical practice, he works as an Honorary Professor in Surgery at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) and has medico legal experience, acting for plaintiff and defence, in areas of emergency general surgery, elective general surgery, delayed diagnosis of cancer and other aspects of benign and malignant disease. In addition to providing expert witness advice to medical council hearings he has, as lead clinician, prepared a formal response submission to a statutory HIQA inquiry processes and been involved on advisory groups with the National Cancer Control program, the RCSI, HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority) and the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

He has a Diploma in Medical Law from Kings Inns and experience in specialised courses in medico legal practice, and medico legal aspects surgical practice as well as La Touche training courses on medico legal report writing, courtroom skills and cross examination. He has extensive research interests and has published papers in the areas of cancer surgery, emergency surgery, medical education, medico legal issues and audit.