BSc (hons) MBBS (hons) MSc FRCPCH EACVI
Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist

Dr Venugopalan Poothirikovil (Dr Venu) is a Consultant Paediatrician with Expertise in Paediatric Cardiology, at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton. He holds an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer post at the Brighton & Sussex Medical School and is the Deputy Lead for MSc Paediatrics and MSc Cardiology at the BSMS. He has a track record of clinical, teaching, research and management experience over a period of over 30 years.

Dr Venu has established and updated the paediatric cardiology services in the NHS Trust and has full accreditation from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI). He holds a Honorary Consultant Post at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital. He has a special interest and expertise in Cardiology and is an Executive member and immediate past Chair of the PECSIG, the cardiology specialty group of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health. He has published on nutritional impact of heart diseases and has authored a chapter in a textbook related to nutrition and heart disease.

Besides his cardiology experience, Dr Venu has gained over the years, experience in general paediatrics as well as allergies and respiratory conditions. He looks after children with not only heart diseases, but also allergies, chest symptoms and other general paediatric symptoms.

Dr Venu is the Chair of DCH Clinical Examinations in the UK and overseas, also a Senior Examiner and Examiner Trainer for the DCH and MRCPCH Clinical Examinations. He has participated in over a dozen clinical research projects, and authored around 100 Medline indexed publications, and several chapters in the online Medscape Text book of Pediatrics.  He is the co-author to the textbook ‘Clinical Cases in Paediatrics: DCH Clinical Examination.

Dr Venu organises and participates in several course and conferences and is widely respected for his contributions in this field. He is the Course director for online and face to face ECG and Echocardiography courses run yearly and receives uniformly good feedback for his contribution to teaching and research.

MBChB , FRCPCH UK, FRCP (London) , DCH (London), DCHRCR (Dublin)
Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist

Between 1980 and 1991 Dr Jawad was trained and worked at Heath University, hospital, Cardiff, Bristol Children hospital, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, Edith Watson hospital, Lancashire, Queen Marys’ Hospital Roehampton, Westminster Children Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster, North Middlesex & Royal Free, Hampstead and The Royal Brompton hospital before he moved into his consultant post in Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust in 1991. Dr Jawad is the Principal investigator for Kawasaki Disease for Surrey & Sussex Healthcare.

Dr Jawad is a consultant Paediatrician at Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust a, and honorary Consultant at the Royal Brompton Hospital & Harefield, London, UK. Dr Jawad has wide experience at both clinical and education level. He is a Paediatrician with a special interest in cardiorespiratory diseases and related problems such as allergies.

Dr Jawad is also a senior examiner for the MRCPCH & DCH and recognised tutor in Paediatrics. He was the chief examiner at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child health, then became the Principal Regional examiner for the Middle East & North Africa before he was promoted to his present position as Strategic Regional Advisor at the RCPCH for Training and Examination -MENA.

Dr Jawad deals with children with various heart problems examples: heart murmurs, heart defects, syncope (fainting in children), palpitations and chest pain. Also, children with various respiratory problems such as Asthma, recurrent wheezing, respiratory tract infections, chronic cough or repeated chest infections.

MB BCh, MRCP (London)
Consultant Paediatric Dermatologist

Dr Minal Patel MB BCh, MRCP, MD is a UK-trained Consultant Dermatologist. She is member of the British Association of Dermatologists, European Society of Paediatric Dermatology, European Academy of Dermatology and the British hair and nail society.

She graduated from Kings College London in 2009 and has worked at a number of teaching hospitals in Sussex where underwent acute medical training and attained her membership to the Royal College of Physicians. She then went on to train as a Dermatologist in an acute teaching hospital in Brighton. She has published articles and spoken at national and international dermatological conferences.

Dr Patel has a particular interest in general dermatology such as Acne, Rosacea and Allergy testing. She is an experienced Dermatological surgeon having been trained under a plastic surgeon whilst she was in Brighton. She is also a specialist in skin cancer and surgery.

MB BS, MD, MRCPCH
Consultant Paediatrician (Endocrinology & Diabetes)

Dr Kanumakala is a Consultant Paediatrician at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital. He has a special interest in paediatric endocrinology and diabetes, obesity and lipid disorders in children. He also enjoys teaching and education; approved examiner for MRCPCH exams; member of British Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes. He has given several lectures over the world and continues to do so.

MB BAO.BCh. LRCP&SI (Ireland), MRCPCH (Ireland), MSc. Clinical Paediatrics (University College London)

Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist

Professor David Rawat is a paediatric gastroenterologist with over 18 years of experience at consultant level, working both in the NHS and the private sector. He graduated from the RCSI in Dublin, Ireland in 1993 and completed his post-graduate paediatric training in Cambridge in the UK. He attained a subspecialist qualification in London and obtained CCST in paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition in September 2004.
He has vast experience in acute and chronic paediatric GI disorders with expertise in GI motility disorders, for which he completed a clinical fellowship in neurogastromotility in Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University, USA. His other specialist interests include GI allergy, feeding disorders, inflammatory bowel disease and therapeutic endoscopy.
Professor Rawat has worked as a consultant paediatric gastroenterologist in two of the biggest NHS tertiary teaching hospitals in London; The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (including an honorary contract as GI Lead with The Royal Brompton Hospital) from 2005 until 2011 and The Royal London Hospital from 2011 until 2017. He worked abroad in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 2018 until December 2022 in the Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City hospital which is the biggest tertiary children’s teaching hospital in Abu Dhabi. He has repatriated to London in January 2023 and has been reappointed to his NHS consultant post at Royal London Hospital, as lead for paediatric GI motility services.
Professor David Rawat has extensive research publications in peer-reviewed journals and continues to maintain an academic career. He was awarded a clinical professorship at Khalifa University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences in the United Arab Emirates. His interest in medical education is maintained by lecturing and supporting undergraduate and post-graduate junior doctors, both in the UK and the UAE.

MBBS, MRCPCH,
Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist

Dr Vinod Kolimarala is a Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust with more than 14 years’ experience of working with children. He obtained specialist grid training in Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition from King’s College Hospital and Southampton Children’s Hospital.

He has extensive experience in managing wide variety of gut related symptoms in children including, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, weight loss.

He is experienced in managing various gastro-intestinal conditions including gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, Coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis, Eosinophilic oesophagitis, gut associated food allergies. He has extensive experience in performing and interpreting pH/impedance studies and endoscopies. His areas of interest include Inflammatory bowel disease and gut associated food allergies.

He is a member of British, European and North American Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and nutrition societies (BSPGHAN, ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN). He is the secretary of the BSPGHAN Eosinophilic Oesophagitis working group. He is the educational supervisor for students from King’s college and regularly teaches medical students, paediatric trainees and allied health professionals. He is actively involved in research and has presented at multiple national and international conferences around the world.

MBBS,BCH,BAO,MRCPCH, MSc
Paediatric Gastroenterologist

Dr Hii has been a consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton since 2012. He gained his paediatrics and gastroenterology training from working at various hospitals in London. He has worked in tertiary gastroenterology centres including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Royal Free Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He spent a further 2 years working as a Hepatology Clinical Fellow at the Supra-Regional Liver Centre at King’s College Hospital. He is currently the Clinical Hepatology lead in Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital. He also has an MSc in Paediatrics, which was received in 2003 at Birmingham University. He is a member of British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

His main interests are gut-associated food allergies and intolerances, constipation, gastro-oesophageal reflux, infantile colic, nutrition, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. He also has broad experience in general paediatrics.

Dr Hii is also a member of the advisory committee for Paediatric Diagnostics.

Website: www.paediatricgutinvestigation.co.uk

MBBS, MRCGP, DipOccMed
Private GP

Dr Thompson is a private General Practitioner with over 20 years of experience. She undertook her medical training at St Mary’s Hospital, now Imperial College, and specialised at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital, completing her training in Kensington. She enjoys working with children and has spent many years working to deliver high quality physical and mental health care, including immunisations, to babies, children and adolescents in both her NHS and Private General Practice. She believes that supporting parents through the challenges of nurturing children is an important aspect of providing holistic family care.

MBBS, DCH, MRCPCH
Consultant Paediatrician

Dr. Kumar, a highly accomplished and experienced Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist based in Tunbridge Wells Hospital, UK. With a robust medical background, Kumar's expertise spans over 20 years, encompassing diverse paediatric experience gained in prestigious hospitals across London. He holds a postgraduate training at London and Kent deaneries, and his professional journey includes working at renowned institutions such as Royal London Hospital, King College Hospital, Guy’s & St Thomas, and Southampton Hospital. Additionally, Kumar has completed a Masters (MSc) in Allergy, reflecting his dedication to staying at the forefront of medical advancements.

Kumar is particularly interested in allergic disorders, with a keen focus on eczema and food allergies. He also excels in allergen desensitization (immunotherapy) for both food and environmental allergens such as peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, pollens, dust mites, and pets. His dedication to research in these areas showcases his commitment to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient outcomes.

Specialising in Paediatrics, Kumar's focus areas include general paediatrics, allergy, and neonatology. Passionate about medical education and training, he has been actively involved in teaching medical students, junior doctors, and GP's across London and Kent.

Consultations with Kumar are child-centred, ensuring a holistic approach to addressing acute and chronic problems in children. Kumar's approach to patient care combines clinical expertise with a calm and reassuring demeanour, ensuring the well-being of each child he treats.

His areas of expertise include food allergies, hay fever, eczema, abdominal pain, constipation, chronic diarrhea, bedwetting, headache, seizures, dizziness, syncope, palpitation, chest pain, chronic cough, wheeze, asthma, joint pains, nutritional disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and weight gain issues. Kumar also offers childhood vaccines and oral immunotherapy for hay fever and house dust mite.

With close networking ties to London and Surrey Allergy networks, Kumar collaborates with dietitians, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists to provide comprehensive care. He values the experiences gained from raising his own children, which have enriched his perspective as a paediatrician. He offers continuity of care from birth to teenage years, as well as health checks and assessments for one-off illnesses and concerns.

Kumar offers in-depth consultations and assessments for a variety of paediatric issues, ranging from common childhood complaints to the investigation and management of rare conditions, often in collaboration with sub-specialists.

MBBS, MD, DCH, FRCPCH, PG Cert(Allergy)
Consultant Paediatrician Immunologist

Dr Prasad is a Consultant Paediatrician with more than 20 years experience in dealing with various paediatric problems. He holds a Consultant position at Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust and specialises in Paediatric Allergy.  He has extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of various allergic conditions in children, including food allergy, hay fever, eczema and chronic urticaria. He is a fellow of the Royal college of Paediatrics and Child health and member of the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

MRCPCH, MBBS, MSc. Health Psychology, BSc. Psychology
Consultant Paediatrician Neurodevelopmental

Dr Kate Francis is a Consultant Paediatrician specialising in Acute and Emergency Paediatric Medicine at the Evelina Children’s Hospital London and is the Outreach Clinical Lead for NHS England and Improvement for Violence Reduction. She has experience in Community Paediatrics and Looked after Children (LAC) assessments and has worked for Medway and Kent Community Paediatric services. She is the co-founder of company Bene Esse Limited; developing specialist holistic healthcare solutions for children and young people.

Kate graduated from King’s College London medical school in 2009 and attained a higher level Masters degrees in Health Psychology from the University of Southampton. Through her work as a Paediatrician and background in Psychology she has gained experience and specialist interest in Child Development including neurodevelopmental conditions (ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder), safeguarding children and young people, emotional & behavioural difficulties and well-being.

Kate has an established professional portfolio working with highly experienced and accredited Consultant Community Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Specialist nurses dedicated to working with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Kate values and sees the need for a holistic healthcare model that provides children and young people with the opportunity to explore their own health, development and well-being in a safe and confidential environment; to equip young people with the life skills that promote self-awareness, self-esteem and resilience.

Kate endorses an evidence based practice approach to maintain high standards of clinical care and uses nationally recognised NICE standardised diagnostic tools to assess children and young people for neurodevelopmental conditions. She is well published within the academic community, with a recent co-authorship publication in the British Medical Journal highlighting the collateral damage of Covid-19 on children including mental health and safeguarding issues.

Dr Kate Francis areas of interest include General Paediatrics, Neurodevelopmental Conditions (ASD and ADHD), Emotional & Behavioural difficulties.

MBChB, MRCPCH (UK), PGDip (Child Law & Policy), FRCPCH (UK),
MSc (Medical Education), PGDip (SCQF Level 8, Coaching & Mentoring)
Consultant Paediatrician Neurodevelopmental

Following completing her medical degree in 1993, Dr Susan Ozer has been a Specialist Paediatrician
in the UK for over 25 years with interests in Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics,
Autism, ADHD, and Medical Education. Dr Susan Ozer is the Clinical Lead for the
ADHD Service at her NHS Hospital Trust and was Clinical Director for her
medical department between 20016-2019, facilitating innovative pathways,
including winning Team awards. Since being appointed as a Consultant
Paediatrician in the UK National Health Service (NHS) and private practice, Dr
Ozer has won multiple personal awards, including clinical excellence. Dr Ozer’s
academic achievements include a Masters’s degree in Health and Medical
Education, a postgraduate diploma in Child Law and Policy and a level 8 Diploma
in coaching and mentoring. Dr Ozer has completed a leadership program through a  Cambridge University Health Partners initiative and currently completing a Psychology Masters.  Dr Ozer’s clinical interests include ADHD, Autism and associated disorders.

Dr Ozer has frequently been invited to participate on several national neurodevelopmental related advisory boards. She is also a frequent speaker on ADHD, Autism and several topics at regional, national, and international events.
Dr Ozer has facilitated frequent neurodevelopmental initiatives, including
clinical pathways. Dr Ozer’s NHS hospital’s ADHD pathway was given ‘Highly Commended status in the NICE shared learning awards in October 2015. Dr Ozer has been invited to give talks on radio, including BBC Cambridgeshire radio and Hearts FM Liverpool, to help increase public awareness about ADHD and related disorders. She also has a regular bi-monthly radio mentoring show as part of her Charity’s activities. Dr Ozer is a published author of several children’s books utilizing fiction to enhance understanding of Neurodevelopmental themes for children and families. One of her books, an award-winning and bestseller, has been translated into other languages and a winner at the UK national reading well campaign in 2019. Dr Ozer has authored and published several patient information booklets and developed a website for ADHD patients for her Hospital Trust. Dr Ozer is also passionate about education and is the regional coordinator for Higher Specialty Training in Paediatrics in the East of England.

Dr Ozer is the Director/ Co-founder of an innovative Social Enterprise ( School Doctor) for children/ young people, schools and families (www.school-doctor.com), and Founder CEO /Trustee Chair of a UK registered BAME Charity- One2One Mentoring Network (www.one2onementoring.com). Dr Ozer is also a fellow on the innovative NHS Clinical Entrepreneur program and CEO founder of a registered mentoring Charity Through her clinical work, writing, publishing and advocacy activities, Dr Ozer aims to enhance the profile of children and young people with special needs, ADHD, Autism, and other Neurodevelopmental disorders nationally and internationally.

Contact details/websites:

www.school-doctor.com

info@school-doctor.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsusanozer

MB BS, FRCPCH
Consultant Paediatrician - Epilepsy and Neurology

Dr Chinwe Ude is an experienced Paediatrician with expertise in Epilepsy and Neurology. Dr Ude currently practices at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust where she is am the Lead for the Paediatric Epilepsy and Neurology Service. Dr Ude is also the Clinical Lead for the South Thames Paediatric Epilepsy Network and a member of the Epilepsy Working Group for the NHS England Children and Young People Transformation Programme.  

Dr Ude completed paediatric training at the East of England Deanery and Special Interest training in Epilepsy/Neurology at Cambridge University Hospital Trust. Dr Ude is a Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health (FRCPCH) and holds an honorary lecturing role at Brighton University. In addition, Dr Ude is a Health Ambassador/Advisor for Roald Dahl’s Children’s Charity and an advisor on both the CYP and Medical Advisory Committees at the Spire Alexandra Hospital, Kent.

Dr Ude has years of clinical experience, health service provision and multi-disciplinary working and strives to ensure best practice standards of care around your child. Dr Ude delivers child-centred consultations recognising your child as a unique individual deserving of a tailored approach to their health needs.  Dr Ude is able to see children with concerns about seizures, movement problems, tic disorders, chronic headaches and unsteady gait .

Dr Ude is well experienced in managing Sleep Difficulties which can be extremely impactful on the child’s attention, memory and behaviour.  In addition to her epilepsy expertise, Dr Ude has many years of experience in general paediatrics including common allergy, gastroenterology and respiratory concerns.    

Paediatric Dietitian (Allergy)

Misbah has 11 years experience as a registered Dietitian with 8 years of this within Paediatric allergy services. She currently works as the Lead Specialist Allergy Dietitian at St Georges’s hospital in London which is a tertiary centre for allergy. Within this role she has been involved in published research looking at disparities in allergy provision across UK services. In 2022 she has also presented at both the Sadie Bristow Foundation education event and the BSACI (British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology) Grand Round alongside world-leading clinicians within the field.

Misbah is currently studying for a Masters's degree in Paediatric allergy, is a committee member of the Food Allergy Specialist Group for Dietitians and founder of ‘Little People Dietitian’, a children’s allergy dietetic clinic based in South West London.

Paediatric Dietitian (Gastroenterology)

Chris has 15 years’ experience in clinical dietetics. Following his training in London he worked at the Royal Free Hospital, London for many years then moved to the Children’s Hospital in Brighton in 2007. Currently Chris is the lead paediatric acute Dietitian in a team of 8 specialist dieticians. His main interest is in the clinical management of under nutrition, gastroenterology, allergy and cystic fibrosis.

He has a strong interest in research and has published work in the field of nutrition. In 2012 he led the collation of a European wide audit of CF dietetic practice with a data cohort of >7000 patients from 10 countries. He has presented many of his own research works at several European conferences including ESPGHAN (2017, 2015, 2013, 2012) and ECFS (European Cystic Fibrosis Society 2012, 2009). Chris has been a lecturer for several leading nutrition companies for many years and continues this important work to share good clinical practice and best nutritional care.

Chris maintains a busy clinical work load as well as being part of the MDT nutrition team for the hospital along with surgical and gastroenterology colleagues.

Since setting up the Nutritional Clinical Investigation Unit in 2014 at the Children’s Hospital his current projects focus on nutritional assessment of body composition, indirect calorimetry and intake composition analysis.

In his spare time Chris runs a taxi service for his 2 children.

BSc MEd DOHNS FRCS (ORL-HNS)
Consultant Paediatric Ent Surgeon

Mr Khemani is a Consultant Paediatric ENT Surgeon and Clinical Lead for ENT at Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust. He was appointed as a Consultant in 2012 after training in a number of prestigious surgical centres in London, including University College Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital. He has extensive experience in the medical and surgical management of paediatric ENT conditions with subspecialist expertise in the surgical management of hearing loss and discharging ears as well as the management of balance disorders and throat conditions including tonsillitis. He teaches intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy techniques around the world. Mr Khemani is also a member of the advisory committee for Paediatric Diagnostics.

FRCS Paediatric Surgery (England), MCh, FRCS (Edinburgh), FRCS (Ireland), MS, MBBS
Consultant Paediatric General and Urology Surgeon.

Professor Sinha has over 25 years’ experience in paediatric surgery and paediatric urology. He underwent specialist training in paediatric surgery at the London Deanery and the Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi, India and has also worked in many world-renowned hospitals including Great Ormond Hospital for Children, London, King’s College Hospital, London, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

He has authored or contributed to over 115 publications, 15 books, and 50 national and international presentations. One of his most popular books is ‘Handbook of Paediatric Surgery’, published by Springer London – New York.

He is also the Clinical Governance Lead at St George’s Medical School and is actively involved in training the next generation.

Website: www.childsurgeon.co.uk