Dr Zinu Philipose

I am a Consultant Gastroenterologist with sub-specialty training in liver diseases. I have been working in gastroenterology since 2002. My special expertise also includes endoscopic ultrasound assessment of all pancreatic cysts. I have been practising gastroenterology and hepatology as an independent consultant both in the NHS and in the private sector since 2009 and I have treated a wide variety of conditions in this field.

My areas of interest include: liver diseases – all aspects like fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, abnormal liver lesions, autoimmune liver diseases; gall bladder problems with special expertise in bile duct stones, pancreas problems with special expertise on pancreatic cysts, constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal bloating, belching and flatulence, reflux disease including reflux associated chest pain. I also see patients with the following conditions: nausea and vomiting, recurrent abdominal pain, swallowing difficulties, bleeding from gastrointestinal tract causing anaemia, dietary advice for specific gastroenterological conditions, detection and treatment of gastrointestinal polyps, coeliac disease and colitis and Crohn's disease.

I spend a lot of time and effort listening to their actual symptoms and directing them to only the appropriate investigations, but at the same time, getting to the diagnosis and leaving all the patients with a definite diagnosis and a clear and comprehensive management plan. I always focus on a patient empowered and personalised patient approach.

I qualified in medicine in 1995 and undertook specialist registrar training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (liver diseases) at the South Thames London Deanery, including working in the King's Liver Unit (the largest liver transplant centre in UK). This training included a period of research at Croydon University Hospital and two years of liver diseases sub-specialty training. I then completed a Senior Clinical Fellowship at St Mark’s Hospital, which is a renowned centre for Gastroenterology Academics and a tertiary centre for intestinal failure and Inflammatory bowel disease.

I was appointed as a Consultant Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist in 2009 at Worthing Hospital and worked there until 2016. During these years, I set up various new developments and was single-handedly managing the hepato-pancreatic-biliary (HPB) service in the hospital including being the only ERCP endoscopist for the hospital for a period of time. I also held important positions like chair of the gastroenterology journal club, endoscopy training lead, core member of Upper GI and HPB cancer group and Principal Investigator for national trials in gastroenterology.

Subsequent to this, I was offered a chance to work as a Consultant Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist at Croydon University Hospital with a view to setting up several services with the focus mainly on Hepatology. I have been serving as the Hepatology Lead since my appointment here. In the two years here, I have managed to set up hepatology clinics with setting up of Hepatitis B and C treatment locally, which never existed before, after several discussions with the relevant stakeholders, thereby repatriating all the work from the tertiary centres. At the same time, I have managed to strengthen the collaboration with the liver team at King’s College Liver Unit. I have set up a benign radiology MDT for GI medicine alone. I have been working in close partnership with Public Health Croydon and been part of a team called Croydon Integrated Personalised Care for people with alcohol and other long term conditions.

I have set up a Fibroscan service (a non-invasive test) to be made available to all our patients for a more in-depth analysis of liver condition for patients with liver diseases. I have started the provision of transjugular liver biopsy at Croydon University Hospital. I am the operator with the highest number of ERCP procedures per annum. I currently also work at St George’s Hospital where I perform Endoscopic Ultrasound, which again was not available locally prior to my appointment.

I am the only clinician performing Endoscopic Ultrasound in Croydon. I am the only consultant managing viral hepatitis at Croydon University Hospital. Procedures performed: All types of diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower GI endoscopies. My completion rates are above the required rate for all procedures and my complication rates are below the evidence based average.