Consultants' update: July 2025

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A message from Anthony Fitzgerald, Director of Governance and Risk

I’m delighted to introduce myself as the new Director of Governance and Risk within Diagnostics and Secondary Care London, having joined the Executive team in June 2025.

My nursing career spans nearly 30 years, with experience in acute complex hospitals across the independent sector in the UK, Germany, and Australia. Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked in central London with a range of independent providers, and for the last eight years, I’ve held senior leadership roles as Chief Nurse/Director of Clinical Services at HCA Healthcare UK (The Princess Grace Hospital), Nuffield Health (St Bartholomew’s Hospital), and Schoen Clinic London (now Fortius Clinic London). In each of these roles, I’ve had direct accountability for governance and risk management, which remains a key focus in my new position.

The Governance team at Cromwell has undergone significant change in recent months, and I’m excited to lead the next phase – building a stronger, more stable team that proactively supports our consultants, nurses, and clinicians in delivering world-class care to help our patients live healthier, happier, longer lives.

I look forward to meeting and working with many of you in the months ahead.

Anthony Fitzgerald, Director of Governance and Risk

[email protected]

Cromwell Hospital

The latest news and updates from our Kensington hospital.

Leadership updates in Consultant team

We were delighted to recently welcome back Priscilla Mahendran to her role as Head of Consultant Engagement, following her secondment. Priscilla brings a wealth of experience and renewed perspective to the role, and we’re excited to have her back supporting our consultant community.

We’re also pleased to share that Rachel Williams has taken on a new position as Head of Consultant Strategy. In this role, Rachel will focus on consultant recruitment, strategic growth, and strengthening partnerships across Cromwell and our wider network.

Priscilla Mahendran

A message from Priscilla Mahendran, Head of Consultant Engagement

It was such a pleasure to see so many of you at our Consultant Summer Party this past month – I hope you enjoyed the evening, reconnecting with colleagues and making new connections. 

I’m also pleased to share that I’ve now returned to my substantive role as Head of Consultant Engagement, following a year-long secondment as Head of Transformation – Development. 

During my time with the Transformation team, I had the opportunity to lead several strategic initiatives and collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to help shape the future of our services. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I’m excited to bring this broader perspective back into the consultant engagement space. 

As always, my focus remains on ensuring that you feel supported, heard, and empowered to deliver outstanding care at Cromwell Hospital. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with many of you, continuing our work together, and exploring new opportunities to strengthen our partnerships. 

If there’s anything you’d like to discuss – whether it’s about your practice, feedback, or ideas for improvement – I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me at [email protected].  

And for those taking a well-earned summer break, I hope it’s restful and I look forward to welcoming you back soon.

Rachel Williams, Head of Consultant Strategy

A message from Rachel Williams, Head of Consultant Strategy

Since joining Cromwell in October 2024 as Head of Consultant Engagement, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed connecting with our consultants and gaining deeper insight into the incredible work you do every day. 

I’m now excited to step into a new role as Head of Consultant Strategy, where my focus will shift toward consultant recruitment and supporting strategic growth across Cromwell and our partner sites. 

This includes attracting world-class consultants and strengthening our referral networks, as well as driving forward new developments and opportunities such as Lexham Gardens, our expanding cardiac services, Canary Wharf, and New Victoria Hospital. 

I look forward to continuing to work closely with many of you in this new capacity and to building on the strong foundations we’ve established together. 

If you’d like to connect about opportunities, ideas, or collaborations, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected].  

Consultant Summer Party; ?>

Consultant Summer Party

On Wednesday 2 July, we were delighted to welcome consultants to our annual Consultant Summer Party, held at the prestigious 116 Pall Mall. 

The evening featured speeches from Philip Luce, Dr Sarah Frankton, and Dr Brian O'Connor that highlighted the exciting developments at Cromwell Hospital and across our wider network. Dr O’Connor introduced the new Chest and Lung Group formed at the hospital, which includes himself; Dr James Wilson, Medical Oncologist; Mr Marco Scarci, Thoracic Surgeon; Mr Simon Jordan, Thoracic Surgeon; and Dr Reza Abdullah, Respiratory Physician. Also mentioned was the revolutionary Apheresis treatment now available at Cromwell Hospital – if you would like to learn more, please visit our dedicated webpage. 

The event offered a fantastic opportunity for consultants to connect with colleagues, as well as members of our Executive Team and Senior Management, in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. We were also pleased to be joined by Laurian Grace, Head of Clinician Engagement and Proposition at Bupa UK Insurance, who was available to answer questions and engage with our consultant community. 

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended – we look forward to welcoming you again at future events. 

Please keep an eye out for upcoming details about our Christmas Party 2025! 

Two new Angio labs opening

We’re pleased to announce that August will mark the opening of our brand-new Angio lab, equipped with the Philips Azurion Bi-Plane system – a state-of-the-art platform designed to enhance imaging precision and procedural efficiency. 

Following closely in September, we’ll be launching a second Angio lab, featuring the Philips Azurion 7 Single-Plane system, further expanding our capacity and capabilities in cardiovascular care. 

If you are a cardiologist currently using the Angio lab and would like to discuss scheduling requirements for the second lab, please reach out to Rachel Williams, Head of Consultant Strategy, at [email protected]. 

New weekly service: Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)

We would like to draw your attention to our endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) service for lung cancer investigations. This service is delivered on a weekly basis by Dr Reza Abdullah, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine. 

This advanced diagnostic service is ideal for patients presenting with suspected lung cancer or lung abnormalities. EBUS not only helps confirm the presence of cancer but also provides valuable information about tumour size and potential metastasis. Where appropriate, biopsies can be taken during the procedure to support accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. 

Patient referrals should be directed to Dr Reza Abdullah. For further information, please contact [email protected].

Preassessment and daytime emergency anaesthetic cover

We are pleased to announce that the advert for Consultant Anaesthetists to support our pre-assessment service and provide anaesthetic emergency cover from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, will be posted imminently.  

This marks an important and long-anticipated step in enhancing patient safety and improving the experience for both patients and consultants. These new roles will complement the excellent work already being led by Jig Descallar, Modern Matron for Surgery, and Steve Bellingham, Chief Nursing Officer.  

If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Dr Sarah Frankton, Chief Medical Officer, at [email protected]. 

Oncology talks for staff

This year, our oncologists have been delivering a series of insightful talks to staff, sharing their knowledge and expertise across a range of oncology topics. These sessions have been well-received, with staff describing them as enjoyable, informative, and highly valuable. 

We’re thrilled to see such positive engagement and look forward to the upcoming sessions. 

If you’re interested in delivering a talk or would like more information about the programme, please contact Risalina Nitro, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oncology at [email protected]. 

Reminder: Anaesthetist responsibility

Please be advised that Cromwell Hospital is currently unable to provide anaesthetic cover for surgical lists. As such, the responsibility for sourcing anaesthetists lies with consultants and their practice managers.

If you are experiencing difficulties in securing anaesthetic support, we can assist you through the Alloc8tor app. 

For further information or support, please contact the Reservations Team at [email protected]. 

Reminder: Help shape our brand narrative

The Cromwell Hospital brand narrative plays a key role in bringing to life our story for our people, patients, and the wider world. Following recent review, we are looking to refresh and refine this narrative to better reflect our ever-evolving hospital – but we need your support in ensuring it truly captures who we are and what we stand for.

To fill out our survey, please visit the link below.

Complete the survey >

Consultant compliments

We are delighted to share the following reviews, which were collected via our patient experience platform, Medallia.

New consultants at Cromwell Hospital

Mr Arjuna Imbuldeniya

Mr Arjuna Imbuldeniya, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

  • Clinical interests: Keyhole knee surgery, knee ligament injuries, robotic-assisted knee surgery, and revision hip replacement
  • NHS base: Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust

Mr Imbuldeniya specialises in treating hip and knee problems, finding the quickest and safest solution with his team. He is an expert in keyhole knee surgery, knee ligament injuries, robotic-assisted knee surgery, and 're-do' or revision hip replacement.

Mr Arvind Mohan, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Arvind Mohan, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

  • Clinical interests: Shoulder replacement, elbow arthritis, tennis elbow, shoulder instability, joint replacement for the hand, and sports injuries
  • NHS base: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

Mr Mohan is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in trauma and orthopaedic surgery with a special interest in upper limb surgery. He provides specialist operative and non-operative treatments (joint injections) of various conditions of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hands.

Mr Davide Patrini, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon

Mr Davide Patrini, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon

  • Clinical interests: Thoracic surgical oncology, pleural diseases, and benign lung conditions
  • NHS base: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Mr Patrini is Clinical Lead of the Thoracic Department at University College London Hospitals (UCLH). His primary interests lie in thoracic surgical oncology, pleural diseases, and benign lung conditions, with expertise in both conventional and minimally invasive surgical approaches.

Dr Saud Khawaja

Dr Saud Khawaja, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist

  • Clinical interests: Interventional cardiology, coronary artery interventions, and structural heart disease management
  • NHS base: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Dr Khawaja is an experienced interventional cardiologist who holds dual Certificates of Completion of Training (CCT) in Cardiology and General Internal Medicine. He specialises in advanced interventional procedures, including coronary artery interventions and structural heart disease management.

London Medical

What's new at our outpatient and diabetes specialist centre located in Marylebone.

New consultants at London Medical

Brian O'Connor

Dr Brian O’Connor, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine

  • Clinical interests: Airwaves diseases, asthma, smoking-related lung disease, lung cancer, and lung infections

With expertise in all aspects of respiratory medicine, Dr O'Connor takes a special interest in the treatment and management of airwaves diseases, asthma, smoking-related lung disease, lung cancer, lung infections, and much more.

View profile >

Mr Nicholas Dixon, Consultant Gynaecologist

Mr Nicholas Dixon, Consultant Gynaecologist

  • Clinical interests: Cancer diagnostics, ultrasound, laparoscopic surgery, and hysteroscopic surgery
  • NHS base: Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust 

Mr Dixon's areas of expertise include ultrasound scanning, cancer diagnostics (including office hysteroscopy), laparoscopic surgery (including ovarian cystectomy, hysterectomy, excision endometriosis, adehsiolysis, and myomectomy), and hysteroscopic surgery.

View profile >

Basinghall Clinic

The latest updates from our outpatient diagnostic centre in the heart of the City.

Reminder: No walk-in blood service

Please be advised that Basinghall Clinic is unable to accommodate walk-in blood appointments, as we do not operate a dedicated phlebotomy clinic. This is because our practice nurses are supporting other services, therefore all blood appointments are scheduled at specific times to align with these clinics. 

Patients requiring a walk-in blood appointment should be advised to attend Cromwell Hospital instead. 

New consultants at Basinghall Clinic

Mr Walter Cazzaniga, Consultant Urological Surgeon

Mr Walter Cazzaniga, Consultant Urological Surgeon

  • Clinical interests: Urologic oncology, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and retroperitoneal tumours
  • NHS base: The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Mr Walter Cazzaniga is a consultant urological surgeon specialising in urologic oncology, with particular emphasis on the management of kidney and testicular cancer as well as surgery for adrenal and retroperitoneal tumours.

We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter. For queries, please contact [email protected].