Job Title
Consultant Gastroenterologist
Location
Related services
Biography
I qualified from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and completed a PhD in iron deficiency anaemia in the MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit. I emigrated to the UK in 1989. I trained in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Royal Free Hospital and was awarded a CCST (Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training) in Gastroenterology and General Internal Medicine in 1996.
I have worked as a consultant at West Herts NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust since 1996. Over this period I have been the Program Director and then Chairman of the North West Thames Gastroenterology Training Program over a 6 year period, the Clinical Tutor at West Herts for ten years, and the Program Director for F1 training for 5 years. I led the redevelopment/rebuild of the Medical Education Centre.
I have mentored a number of Nurse Endoscopists to be trained colonoscopists, as well as mentoring them to become certified for Independent Prescribing.
Since starting at West Herts, the Gastroenterology Department has grown from one consultant to 10, covering all sub specialities. I have been the Lead for the new endoscopy expansion at Watford , completed 2018, and I am the clinical lead for the new 4 roomed Endoscopy Unit at St Albans, planned to open 2025.
My particular interest for some years is Bowel Cancer Screening.
In 2008 I passed the National Accreditation Examination for screening colonoscopists, a prerequisite to perform colonoscopy in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme (my NHS base Endoscopy Unit is a second wave bowel cancer screening unit). I have been since 2012 the Clinical Lead for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme at West Herts NHS Teaching Hospital Trust.
I was the lead for the roll-out of the local Bowel Scope Programme (now no longer available), and the local lead for the replacement program, the Age extension for 50-59 years in the Bowel Cancer Screening program.
I have kept regular audits of practice both personally and for the Department, including Post Colonoscopy Colo Rectal Cancer Rate (Trust wide), KPIs for endoscopic Mucosal Resection (personal practice), outcome of colonic stenting for CRC (personal) , and the long term follow up of patients with polyp cancers,managed endoscopically alone (Trust wide).
I have been involved throughout my career in teaching of GP's, F1 and F2's and SpRs
