Small animal surgery specialist joins team at Paragon

A £5 million referral centre in Yorkshire which has just celebrated its first anniversary has added a third specialist to its ranks.

Turlough O’Neill, an RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) and European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, joined Paragon Veterinary Referrals, in Wakefield, last week.

He brings with him a wealth of experience in referral medicine, including 11 years in private practice, seven years in academia and a surgery residency in Australia.

Mr O’Neill, who lives in Yorkshire, graduated from the Veterinary College of Ireland in 1987 and spent two years in mixed practice before his move to Australia.

He became a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 1996, before completing a Masters of Veterinary Studies and a residency in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Melbourne.

Mr O’Neill returned to the UK as a lecturer in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Liverpool in 2000, becoming a specialist in 2005. Most recently, he has worked at referral centres in the North West and North East.

He enjoys all aspects of orthopaedic surgery including arthroscopy and spinal surgery.

Mr O’Neill said: “Paragon is a great centre with state-of-the-art facilities and is something I wanted to be involved with developing.

“It is a new challenge for me, as I never want to be standing still. I wanted to be involved with building something new and helping it grow its case load.

“My interests are mainly arthroscopy, spinal surgery and fractures. These are all areas I will look to help develop at Paragon.”

Mr O’Neill’s appointment follows that of Sophie Adamantos, an RCVS Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care, and her husband, Mickey Tivers, an RCVS and European Specialist in Soft Tissue Surgery, who joined as clinical director and head of surgery respectively in November.