Aprof David Read

David Read is a Colorectal, General and Trauma Surgeon and the Director of Trauma Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He received his General Surgical Fellowship in 1999 and more recently completed CSSANZ post fellowship training in colorectal surgery. He handles all aspects of colorectal surgery including minimally invasive surgery for bowel cancer, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease and rectal prolapse. He has expertise in dealing with all anorectal conditions and is a GESA accredited gastroscopist and colonoscopist.
As a very experienced General Surgeon, David has extensive experience in hernia surgery, particularly laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the latter becoming more and more an emergency procedure.
Prior to moving to Melbourne to take on the Director of Trauma position at the RMH, David was a highly regarded rural surgeon in Darwin for 15 years spending the later part of his tenure as the Director of Trauma and Burns at the National Critical Care & Trauma Response Centre. He has niche expertise in the surgery of disaster and conflict and has been deployed several times. David is nationally and internationally recognised for this work, particularly the establishment of the Australian Medical Assessment Team (AUSMAT) surgical field hospital. He was centrally involved in the responses to both Bali bombings and the Ashmore Reef explosion and was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross after the 2002 Bali bombings.
David’s research interests include the effect of remoteness on cancer and trauma outcomes, Indigenous health and the epidemiology of trauma.
When not at work, David enjoys camping with his family, gardening and fishing, all that are quite different in Victoria compared with the Northern Territory, and taking some getting used to.
With his broad experience, David prides himself on his ability to consider the whole of the patient with the greatest sensitivity, care and friendly Northern Territory manner.