12 June 2025

A father and son working at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust have operated side by side for the first time in their careers providing an unforgettable moment in both their professional and personal lives.

Mr Nicholas Bennett, a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA), described the experience as “extraordinary” as he observed his son, Dr Alexander Bennett, an anaesthetist, in action during a day of joint procedures.

The pair worked closely together on several operations which included skin cancer removal and reconstruction, a skin graft and they operated on a child requiring urgent hand surgery, marking a unique milestone in their medical journeys.

Nicholas, 62, began his career as an Army Surgeon at The Royal Hospital Haslar. Now, more than three decades later, his son Alexander, 32, is following in his footsteps, having trained in the Wessex region to become an anaesthetist and has recently joined the team at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

The last time Alexander saw his father at work was during a school work experience placement at QA Hospital. Inspired by that early experience, he pursued a career in anaesthesia and returned to Hampshire after graduating from medical school.

Alexander said: “I never thought Dad and I would actually work together. I’m at the start of my career, and he’s nearing the end of his, but there was just enough overlap for us to meet in the middle.

“From being a young boy looking up to him, to standing beside him in the operating theatre, it’s a day I’ll never forget.

“Giving patients an anaesthetic so that your father can operate is certainly a unique situation. The team seemed to enjoy the novelty, but I wanted to make sure it didn’t affect the team dynamic. We each did our jobs as we always would. Although, I’ll admit, surgeons and anaesthetists posing for a photo together at the end of the day isn’t exactly common.”

Nicholas added: “I’ve always had great admiration for my anaesthetic colleagues, but when that anaesthetist is your son, it’s something else entirely.

“One day you’re discussing clinical cases over Sunday lunch, and the next you’re watching your child bring his skills to life in a real operating theatre. It was a truly special moment.