Dr. Josephine Attard

Dr. Josephine Attard is one of Malta's most accomplished consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists, based at Mater Dei Hospital in Msida — Malta's main tertiary hospital and the nation's only facility with a Level III neonatal intensive care unit and a high-risk obstetric unit capable of managing the most complex maternal and fetal complications. With over 22 years of clinical experience, Dr. Attard has established an outstanding reputation in high-risk obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, and gynaecologic endoscopy, providing specialist care to women with complex pregnancies and gynaecological conditions across the Maltese islands.

Dr. Attard trained at the University of Malta before undertaking her postgraduate obstetrics and gynaecology training in the United Kingdom under the NHS RCOG specialty training programme, leading to her Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG). She completed a subspecialty fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine and high-risk obstetrics at King's College Hospital in London — one of Europe's foremost fetal medicine units — under internationally recognised maternal-fetal medicine specialists. She was subsequently awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG), the college's highest honour, in recognition of her specialist expertise and scientific contribution to the field.

At Mater Dei Hospital, Dr. Attard leads the high-risk obstetrics service, managing pregnancies complicated by diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, autoimmune conditions, multiple gestation, fetal growth restriction, and placental abnormalities. She chairs the hospital's Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee — a critical clinical governance role ensuring that all adverse obstetric outcomes are systematically reviewed, lessons are learned, and standards of care continuously improve.

In gynaecology, Dr. Attard has a specialist interest in endoscopic surgery, including operative hysteroscopy and laparoscopic gynaecological procedures, minimising the need for open surgery in women with endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts. She also manages recurrent miscarriage, fertility-impacting gynaecological conditions, and gynaecological oncology referrals in collaboration with the oncology team at Mater Dei.

Dr. Attard earned her medical degree from the University of Malta, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, graduating with distinction and receiving the Dean's Award for academic excellence. She undertook her postgraduate obstetrics and gynaecology specialty training within the NHS RCOG programme in London and the South-East Thames region, gaining comprehensive experience across the full breadth of obstetric and gynaecological practice in high-volume UK teaching hospitals. She passed the MRCOG Part 1 and Part 2 examinations of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, obtaining full MRCOG status. She then completed a subspecialty fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine and high-risk obstetrics at King's College Hospital in London — one of the world's leading fetal medicine units — under the supervision of internationally recognised maternal-fetal medicine specialists, gaining advanced expertise in fetal anomaly scanning, invasive prenatal diagnosis (amniocentesis, CVS), fetal therapy, management of diabetes in pregnancy, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and complex cardiac disease in pregnancy. She was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) — the college's highest designation — following assessment of her clinical expertise, publications, and contribution to the specialty. She is also a member of EBCOG (European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology).

Dr. Attard's obstetric practice is centred on the management of high-risk and complicated pregnancies. She manages the full spectrum of high-risk obstetric conditions: gestational diabetes requiring insulin therapy, preeclampsia and its complications (including HELLP syndrome and eclampsia), fetal growth restriction with surveillance and timing of delivery decisions, placenta praevia and accreta spectrum disorders, cardiac disease in pregnancy (congenital and acquired), autoimmune disease in pregnancy, and multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets). She performs and interprets fetal morphology ultrasound, Doppler velocity studies, and fetal monitoring (CTG), and is expert in invasive prenatal diagnosis including amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.

In operative obstetrics, she performs both elective and emergency caesarean sections, including complex caesarean hysterectomy for placenta accreta. She manages postpartum haemorrhage with surgical and pharmacological interventions.

In gynaecology, Dr. Attard's endoscopic expertise encompasses operative hysteroscopy for submucous fibroids, endometrial polyps, uterine septum, and intrauterine adhesions (Asherman's syndrome), and laparoscopic procedures for endometriosis (including deep infiltrating endometriosis), ovarian cysts (laparoscopic cystectomy and oophorectomy), ectopic pregnancy, and laparoscopic myomectomy for symptomatic uterine fibroids. She also manages recurrent miscarriage evaluation and treatment, and provides fertility-impacting gynaecological surgical care in collaboration with reproductive medicine colleagues.

Dr. Attard has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles in leading obstetric and gynaecological journals including the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG), Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (UOG), the European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, and Human Reproduction. Her research focuses on perinatal outcomes in Malta, including gestational diabetes management and neonatal outcomes in a Mediterranean island population, maternal mortality and morbidity audit, and Mediterranean obstetric care standards. Her prospective cohort study examining perinatal outcomes in Maltese women with gestational diabetes managed under NICE guidelines versus WHO 2013 criteria was published in BJOG and cited in European diabetes-in-pregnancy guidelines. She leads Malta's contribution to the EURO-PERISTAT European perinatal health monitoring project, providing population-based data on Maltese perinatal outcomes including stillbirth rates, mode of delivery, and maternal morbidity to European comparative analyses. She has been invited to present at RCOG World Congress, EBCOG, and FIGO congresses, and serves as a reviewer for BJOG and UOG.

Dr. Attard sees international patients at Mater Dei Hospital in Msida, Malta, including expatriate women resident in Malta, EU citizens accessing care under cross-border healthcare provisions, and medical tourists seeking specialist obstetric and gynaecological care. Malta's combination of RCOG-standard obstetric care, English-language medicine, EU healthcare system membership, competitive costs relative to Northern Europe, and excellent air connectivity makes it an attractive destination for international patients requiring specialist obstetric or gynaecological procedures. She conducts consultations in Maltese, English, and Italian. EU citizens access her services under EHIC or S2 cross-border authorisations. Non-EU international patients are accommodated through Mater Dei's private patient services. For women seeking specialist obstetric care for high-risk pregnancies — including those relocating to Malta for delivery — Dr. Attard provides antenatal booking, high-risk pregnancy surveillance, intrapartum care, and postnatal follow-up. For gynaecological procedures, she provides pre-operative assessment, surgical treatment, and post-operative care with comprehensive documentation for home country healthcare providers.

Dr. Attard was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) — the RCOG's highest designation — in recognition of her clinical expertise, leadership in high-risk obstetrics, and scientific contributions to perinatal medicine. The Malta Medical Association (MMA) awarded her the Distinguished Fellow designation for her sustained contribution to women's health in Malta and her leadership of the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee. The Mater Dei Hospital presented her with its Excellence Award for outstanding clinical service and quality improvement leadership in obstetrics and gynaecology. She is a member of EBCOG (European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and has contributed to EBCOG standards committees on high-risk obstetrics. She has been invited to speak at RCOG World Congress, EBCOG Annual Meeting, and FIGO World Congress on perinatal outcomes, gestational diabetes management, and maternal mortality in small island states.