Our Mission

18 Week Support was born out of Conal’s vision to support and expedite patient access to medical care in the UK. He is passionate about improving efficiency and outcomes in healthcare.

As a Consultant Dermatologist & Dermatological Surgeon at University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH) and Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust, he has contributed to Dermatology and skin cancer services in the NHS for many years. He has served as the Skin Cancer Lead at UCLH, the Mohs Micrographic Surgery Lead to the London Cancer Skin Pathway Board and the Dermatologist to the London Sarcoma Service. Awarded a prestigious Cancer Research UK Fellowship, he subsequently received his PhD in 2008 for his research into skin cancer. He is on the Board of the British Society for Skin Care in Immunocompromised Individuals (BSSCII) and is also an alumnus of Goldman Sachs International.

With an impressive career spanning over 20 years in healthcare, complimented by an MBA, Joshua is focused on ensuring patients have faster access to high quality care and excellent clinical outcomes. He began his professional journey as a Physiotherapist in the NHS, subsequently transitioning to healthcare staffing both domestically and globally, and more recently, has been CEO at one of the largest specialist quality providers of workforce management solutions for the UK social care sector.

Bhavin brings over 20 years of finance leadership experience, including more than 10 years within the healthcare sector. He has held senior finance and executive leadership roles across private healthcare organisations, leading business strategy, financial performance, governance, commercial finance, and operational improvement. With experience spanning large corporates and SMEs, he has a proven track record of driving growth and improving profitability.

Omar brings 20 years of healthcare experience, including 12 years in the NHS and 8 years with private providers. He has held senior commercial and director-level operational roles across single-site, regional, and national settings, driving performance and delivering results at every level.

Lesley is registered nurse and her background clinically is Emergency Medicine. She has worked at varying levels in the NHS and Commercial sector. These roles include Deputy Chief Nurse, Acting Chief Nurse and Director of Governance in the NHS and Chief Nurse, Director of Operations and Director of Governance in the Commercial sector. Lesley also has experience of working undertaking turnaround with NHS E and working in the Care Home sector undertaking turn around and Governance. During COVID 19 Lesley was proud to be a Senior Clinical Lead / ICS Workforce Lead within the COVID 19 vaccination programme in the Southeast.

Mr Windsor is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, recently retired from clinical practice. Over the course of his career, he has held consultant posts at St James University Hospital, Leeds (1997–1999), St Mark’s Hospital, London (1999–2006), University College Hospital London (2006–2018), and HCA Healthcare, Princess Grace Hospital (2018–2025).

His specialist clinical focus within the NHS was largely in the management of complex inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its surgical complications. He served as Surgical Lead for the National Intestinal Failure Unit at St Mark’s Hospital and later as Surgical Lead for the Intestinal Failure Unit at UCLH, contributing significantly to the development of national and international IBD guidelines.

Mr Windsor’s work in the Intestinal Failure Unit also encompassed the management of complex and recurrent incisional hernias and abdominal wall defects. Through this, he developed a national and international reputation in abdominal wall reconstruction. He has been a board member of the British Hernia Society and co-chairs the highly successful Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Europe Conference, now in its tenth year.

Throughout his career, Mr Windsor has undertaken senior leadership roles across both the NHS and the private sector. He currently continues this work as Medical Director and Responsible Officer at OSD Private Hospital, Chief Medical Officer Europe for Telabio, a surgical device company, and Medical Director at 18 Week Support. Much of his leadership has focused on governance pathways, with a strong commitment to patient-centred and team-based approaches to surgery.

Mr Windsor has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and books, and remains a dedicated surgical researcher, trainer, and educator.

Professor Goldstone is a Professor of Haematology at University College London (UCL) and former Haematology Consultant at University College London Hospital Trust (UCLH), where he also held the position of Medical Director and Clinical Director for Cancer Services and Haematology. Previously Professor Goldstone served as the Director for the North London Cancer Network, additionally he was the Chair of the Cancer Department at HCA Healthcare UK before taking on the role of Chair of Research from 2022- 2023. Tony has received an A+ Merit Aware for UK National Health Service, is an elected Fellow of UCL and in 2008 was awarded Commander of the British Empire (CBE) on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Dr Matthew Banks is a Consultant Gastroenterologist at University College London Hospital NHS Trust (UCLH) and holds an academic appointment as an honorary senior lecturer at The National Medical Laser Centre, University College London (UCL). Previously, he served as the Director of Endoscopy at UCLH and also held the same position at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Additionally, Dr Banks was the Secretary of the British Society of Gastroenterology (Endoscopy) from 2017 to 2020. He was a member of the BSG Clinical Services and Standards Committee and the BSG Research Committee, contributing significantly to the development of the current BSG Standards.

Dr Minal Patel is a Consultant Dermatologist. Her areas of expertise include the diagnosis and management of all aspects of skin cancer, hair and nail disorders, paediatric dermatology and adult dermatology, with a particular focus on inflammatory skin diseases, acne and rosacea. She has specialised in dermatology for nine years and is a member of the British Association of Dermatologists and the British Hair and Nail Group.

She qualified from King’s College London in 2009 and gained experience in emergency and acute medicine before undertaking dermatology training on the South Coast. She was appointed Consultant Dermatologist at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust and is Consultant Dermatologist and Clinical Lead for Dermatology for Sussex Community Dermatology Services in North Kent.

She has a strong interest in education, having taught medical students, junior doctors, peers and GPs in the community, where she established specialised teaching sessions. She has also presented her work at national and international conferences.

Miss Joanna Franks is a Consultant Breast and Oncoplastic Surgeon. Her area of expertise is the assessment and management of all conditions relating to the breast, including both benign and malignant breast disease and asymptomatic patients with a family history. She is a trustee of Future Dreams, a charity dedicated to raising funds for support, awareness and research for those touched by breast cancer. She is a member of the medical advisory panel for Chai Cancer and is a professional reviewer for Macmillan Cancer Support Documents.

Mr Charles Imber is the Consultant Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgeon at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust and the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH). He is also Clinical Lead in Liver Transplantation at the Royal Free Hospital in London, where he performs liver transplant surgery as well as HPB surgery. He is also Consultant Surgeon at The Princess Grace Hospital. He is a member of the London Sarcoma service based at UCH and in charge of the National Organ Retrieval Service (NORS) for the North London region. He performed the first robotic liver resection and the first robotic pancreatic resections in the UK successfully and is a pioneer in this form of minimally invasive complex abdominal surgery.

Dr Imran Ahmad is the Deputy Clinical Director for Theatres, Anaesthesia and Peri-operative medicine at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London. Imran trained in the Oxford Deanery with a specialist interest in difficult airway management. He is the President of the Difficult Airway Society (DAS) and is often invited as a keynote speaker to national and international conferences to speak on airway management. More recently he has been known for his innovative work on High Intensity Theatre (HIT) list, for which there has been national interest.

Mr Colin Hopper is a Consultant at the Eastman Dental Hospital and University College Hospital (UCLH), a position he’s held for over 20 years, and Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon at UCLH. Colin is the programme director for the MSc and MClin Dent program at UCL Eastman Dental Institute. Since 1991, he has worked at the National Medical Centre leading a variety of research projects on the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma. This programme is one of the largest in the world.

Professor Toby Richards is an experienced Vascular surgeon and has contributed significantly to research in his field. He is one of the first surgeons in the UK to offer both open and endovascular options to patients with vascular disease and is a pioneer of anaemia management and intravenous iron therapy in the UK.

Mr Nish Mehta graduated with double distinction in medicine and 1st Class Honours in Physiology from Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Medical School and completed his advanced surgical training in leading London hospitals, including Great Ormond Street, St Bartholomew’s, Royal National ENT and Imperial Trust hospitals. He gained a fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons and undertook further international surgical training in the USA, Netherlands and India. He was then selected to train to become one of the UK’s handful of hearing implant surgeons as part of the prestigious Graham Fraser Memorial Fellowship in Sydney, Australia. He is now a Consultant Otologist and Auditory Implant surgeon at the Royal National ENT Hospital, UCLH Trust with a joint appointment as Assoc Prof at UCL’s Ear Institute.

Mr Danny Mitry is the Clinical Lead for Ophthalmology for 18 Week Support. Mr Danny Mitry is a leading Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon based at the Royal Free Hospital in London. He has held several major research grants in support of his academic research. He’s been an invited speaker at international ophthalmic conferences and has been awarded several research awards for his work.

Mr Jai Seth is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at St George’s University Hospital. He leads the Urodynamic, Female Urology and Neuro-Urology service at St George’s Hospital, supports the continence service at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, and is part of a specialised team providing cancer survivorship at the Royal Marsden Hospital for men with post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence. He provides liaison support for the bladder management of patients at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability in Putney.

Dr David McKean is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. He is currently the Radiology Research Lead for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Director of the Stoke Mandeville Musculoskeletal & Spinal Radiology Fellowship, Radiology Lead for the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) MDT and has previously acted as Associate Medical Director for Research and Innovation.

Dr Michael Devine is currently an Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (Queen Square). Michael is also a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Wellcome Trust where he is studying the impact of Parkinson’s disease-related mutations. He is heavily involved in academia and is currently responsible for the Critchley Round at Queen Square which is a weekly teaching round for undergraduates, elective and postgraduate students at the hospital, involving patients from the wards.

Mr Jonathan Dunne is a Consultant Plastic Surgeon specialising in Facial Plastic Surgery, Skin Cancer and Head & Neck Surgery. Mr Dunne is the Founder of the Imperial Facial Reconstruction Centre, a multi-specialty collaborative providing expert care, and leads the Imperial Skin Cancer service. He trained in Bristol, Yorkshire, Sydney and Malawi and completed specialist training in Plastic Surgery in London hospitals including Chelsea & Westminster, Royal Free, St George’s and Charing Cross. He is uniquely trained in all aspects of facial plastic surgery, undertaking two further years of fellowships in minimally invasive facial skin cancer treatment (Mohs Surgery), head & neck microvascular surgery, facial palsy, oculoplastic surgery, and craniofacial and aesthetic surgery. His further training in facial plastic surgery was completed in Melbourne, Boston and Stockholm, and aesthetic training in London hospitals including the Wellington, King Edward VII’s Hospital, the London Clinic and St John and St Elizabeth’s. Mr Dunne is passionate about Plastic Surgery education and development in resource-poor settings, and is a trustee of the Malawi Burns Trust and a member of the national committee for BFIRST (British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery & Training).

As a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedics Surgeon, Mr Numan Shah began his medical education in Manchester. He pursued specialist training in Yorkshire and completed a Wrightington Hospital fellowship, focusing on hip and knee arthroplasty, revisions, and infection management.

Mr Srdjan Saso MRCS MRCOG PhD is a consultant gynaecologist and gynaecological cancer surgeon at Imperial College NHS Trust. His practice encompasses the management of a wide-ranging number of gynaecological issues in women of all ages but with a particular focus on the treatment of gynaecological pathology, both cancer and non-cancer, in young women who have not started or completed their families. He also specialises in both complex benign and cancer surgery, as well as the application of ultrasound to diagnose gynaecological pathology.
Mr Saso’s emphasis in on one-stop clinical services wherever possible, with consultation, ultrasound scan and colposcopy (if required) and then management plan including any surgery. He also holds an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer role at the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London. His main research interests lie in gynaecological cancer and non-cancer surgery and the diagnostic application of ultrasound, with a focus on fertility-sparing surgery and oncofertility in general. His other main research themes are on the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence and Technology in general in gynaecology and, in particular, focusing on the relationship between machine learning and ovarian cancer diagnosis. His final interest lies in the application of biomedical engineering in gynaecology.
Mr Saso is currently a co-investigator and part of the UK Uterine Transplantation team. He also sits on the Scientific Board of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, one of the world’s biggest organisations looking at improving Women’s Health.

Dr Patrick Connor is a Consultant Gastroenterologist. An Army Colonel, he retired from military service in 2000 and has been focussed soley on Endoscopy since then. He has held a number of senior positions including Clinical Endoscopy Lead at Frimley Park Hospital, Senior Defence Consultant Advisor in Medicine, Deputy Medical Director of the Defence Medical Services, Deployed Medical Director on Operational Deployment and Head of the Academic Medical Engagement team. He also continues to be heavily involved in Research.

Dr Trevor Wistow completed his training in London and Cambridge and has worked as a consultant cardiologist for over 25 years at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Whilst training he was in receipt of an MRC grant for research into treatment for intractable angina. His sub specialty interests are in coronary intervention and device therapy. He previously held leadership roles and led regional integration projects for cardiology. Alongside his busy clinical practice he is committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of cardiologists.