Urology specialist will continue to share his skill

Consultant Urological Surgeon Prof. Brian Ellis, leaves the Trust this week after 25 years of service. He joined AshfordHospital in the early 1980’s after completing his medical training at St Mary’s Hospital, London.  He already knew Ashford having spent a year there in 1976 as a Registrar.

At Prof. Ellis’s farewell Consultant Surgeon Mr Joe Horner said that he had actually written the job description for the role of general surgeon, with a special interest in urology, that Brian Ellis had applied for in the early 1980’s.  Commenting on his persistence, loyalty and determination to do the best for his patients and colleagues over the years he said: “Brian is a most dedicated person and for people that want help he is more than happy to assist -  doctors, junior doctors and nurses and all those who need his time.”

He had led his team to pioneer the new Nurse Practitioner role in the UK and this has now been taken up all over the country and the Nurse Practitioner role has now expanded into many other medical disciplines apart from urology.  In 1998 he and his colleagues at Ashford Hospital scooped the Urology ‘Team of the Year’ national award in recognition of the overall excellence of the service offered, supported by pioneer Nurse Practitioners Alison Gidlow and Alison Roodhouse.

Mr Horner added that the Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust had won recognition from the Modernisation Agency last year when Prof Ellis had led a team of urologists and radiologists from the trust investigating the logistics of teaching every urology trainee diagnostic ultrasound. He has gone on to produce his latest medical video which is a programme that teaches young urologists how to do their own ultrasound scanning. 

Prof Ellis, of Ottershaw, has always been a keen teacher and researcher; he has had over 150 academic papers and several books published over the past 30 years.  It was in his role as teacher that he was appointed as visiting Professor at MiddlesexUniversity last year.  He also combines his love of teaching with his hobby of film making, now digital and computer edited. Two of his four medical videos have won prizes in the past. 

Above all he has been dedicated to his patients.  Prof Ellis said: “Working in the NHS is tough these days because of the enormous amount of regulation and the constant challenge from targets.  However, as doctors we must never lose sight of the fact that we are here for our patients; they must always come first.  Nothing must deflect us from giving sound advice, clearly communicated, with sensitivity and compassion.”

He added: “Looking back over the years the first and greatest thing that springs to mind is the honour and privilege of dealing with patients.  To deal with patients and to solve their problems with courtesy and compassion is a great thing.

“To practice every doctor needs a cohesive team to work with and I couldn’t have done it without all and everyone of the wide range of support staff I have been proud to call colleagues.”

Prof Ellis will be maintaining his teaching and his private practice; he is also an active member of the Travelling Surgical Society to whom he is Assistant Archivist and ‘Society Photographer’.  The Society meets up with surgeons at home and abroad to swap experiences and learn from each other.  This year he and his wife, Loveday, went with the Society to Chinaand Salisbury. Next year they are off to Athens and Glasgow.  Now, just 60, he will be devoting a more time to his family and home. Their daughter Rebecca is an event manager at Wentworth Club and their son David is a graphic designer working inGodalming.