Head and Neck surgeon joins Medical Specialist Group

After medical school in South Africa, Mr Pelser (pictured) worked as a junior doctor in the UK before completing his specialist training back in South Africa. In 2014 he took up a consultant post at Brighton Sussex University hospitals where he was the Head and Neck Lead for the ENT department from 2014 to 2023.

During his time with the Head and Neck cancer team in Brighton, the service went from being ranked the bottom third in the UK to being within the top 10% in just a couple of years.

Mr Pelser said: “I have been grateful to be a part of the Medical MSG surgical team over the past six years and I am extremely pleased to now be assuming a permanent role here.

“My passion for surgery stems from the excitement it brings and the challenges it presents, but the most fulfilling part is the long-term relationships I can build with patients while supporting them through a difficult time. Being at the MSG on a permanent basis means I can continue to develop existing relationships with patients who I have come to know over the past six years, which is something I am particularly looking forward to. ”

As a junior doctor Mr Pelser spent four years in Cornwall and said that memories of Cornwall made him fall for Guernsey: “I love the sea, whether in it or just next to it, and I’m hoping to install the same love into my children so that we can enjoy it together.”

Mr Pelser replaces Ear Nose and Throat surgeon Richard Vowles, who recently retired after 23 years at the MSG.

MSG chair Dr Steve Evans said: “Mr Pelser’s familiarity with MSG patients and his impressive level of experience and knowledge will be a huge benefit to the Head and Neck service. During his lengthy career, he has vastly improved the efficiency and clinical expertise of the teams he has supported, and I have no doubt he will continue to achieve great things in his new role at the MSG.”