Meet the team

Dr Fiona Gordon

Dr Gordon is a consultant hepatologist and departmental lead, as well as the clinical lead for the Bristol and Severn Hepatitis C Operational Delivery Network. Her clinical interests include viral Hepatitis and Hepatobiliary endoscopic ultrasound.

Dr Jim Portal

Dr Portal is a consultant hepatologist and Clinical Chair for Weston General Hospital. He has a special interest in hepatobiliary endoscopy, liver transplant assessment, liver related renal injury and adolescent hepatology.

Dr Anne McCune

Dr McCune is a consultant hepatologist as well as the Clinical Director and Deputy Clinical Chair for the division of medicine. She has special interests including alcohol-related liver disease, complex portal hypertension (variceal bleeding and ascites), hereditary haemochromatosis and autoimmune liver diseases.

Dr Gautham Appanna

Dr Appanna is a consultant hepatologist whose cinical interests include cirrhosis and its complications, complex portal hypertension and liver transplantation.

Dr Jim Orr

Dr Orr is a consultant hepatologist whose special interests include liver cancer, cirrhosis and its complications, liver transplant assessment and follow up and community hepatology.

Dr James Hawken

Dr Hawken has an interest in biliary endoscopy including ERCP and Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS). He was appointed as consultant hepatologist at UHBW in November 2022.

Litty Thomas

Litty Thomas is the modern matron who is responsible for overseeing ward A900 as part of her role.

Jane Gitahi

Jane Gitahi is outreach matron for hepatology, who leads the team providing care for people with viral hepatitis and theAlright My Liver? pilot service.

Sarah Lees

My current role involves supporting patients through their transplant journey and working with transplant centres throughout the UK. Here at the BRI, we have an excellent relationship with our colleagues at the Royal Free Hospital in London. I love working with liver transplant patients and their families and find seeing the life changing and saving effects of transplant incredibly rewarding.

Sajni Josy

As a clinical dpecialist nurse in hepatology, I manage patients in the outpatient clinic, monitor for hepatoma surveillance and attend MDT meetings. Also, I attend conferences that will develop my knowledge and skills in my specialist area.

Jeesha George

I worked on the hepatology ward for 18 years subsequently holding the roles of senior staff nurse and supervisory ward sister. I joined the viral hepatitis team as a clinical nurse specialist in 2019. I have qualified as a non-medical prescriber in 2020.

Vivian Delatorre

Julie Wheat

Shiney George

In 2021, I joined my present role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Viral Hepatitis covering inpatient referrals, outpatients, outreach community services, community hospital etc. My job role is specialised which involves working with the Hepatitis team in Assessing, planning and treating viral hepatitis. I am very excited to be part of this dynamic team to help in providing best patient experience and to help in meeting the needs of our patients.

Sally Tilden

I work as a hepatology clinical nurse specialist, specifically focussing on outreach and early detection. I enjoy all aspects of my job but have a particular interest in challenging stigma and breaking down barriers to healthcare.

Rose Kingori

I re-joined the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston on May 2023 as a Hepatology Clinical Nurse Specialist with focus on 'Alright My Liver', a Liver Surveillance outreach  programme which aims to achieve earlier detection and intervention of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer through targeted screening for people with risk factors for Liver disease. I have keen interest and passion in contributing towards healthier population and improved quality of life through health promotion to diverse populations and especially those with barriers to accessing healthcare.

Grace Cameron

Our small team delivers alcohol care across the hospital providing support and education to in-patients, families and staff. I am passionate about ensuring that this patient group receives the best quality care whilst they are in hospital. I qualified as an Independent Nurse Prescriber in 2022.

Lucy Krouma

I became an Alcohol Clinical Nurse Specialist in 2019 and have been supporting patients in addressing their relationship with alcohol as well as providing support and education to patients, families, and staff throughout the hospital. My role has continued to develop and I qualified as a Nurse Independent Prescriber in 2022. I enjoy all aspects of my job but have a keen interest in screening patients for early detection of alcohol related liver disease and providing tailored advice.

Kush Abeysekera

I am an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Hepatology Epidemiology and Public Health. I am based between the University of Bristol and Bristol Royal Infirmary. I moved to Severn Deanery for Gastroenterology and Hepatology training in 2016. I have undertaken two liver transplant clinical fellowships at King's College Hospital and Royal Free Hospital.

My PhD was in NAFLD epidemiology in young adults, in collaboration with the Children of the 90s birth cohort and University of Bristol. My interests are in early detection of liver disease strategies and understanding determinants of liver disease in young adults.

Tilly Barnes

I joined the NHS for University of Hospitals Bristol and Weston trust in 2013 working in hepatology on ward 11 from the young age of 17 as a nursing assistant from that time I knew that I wanted to fulfil my career and become a registered nurse in this speciality, so I went on to complete my training. I completed my Bachelor of Science in adult nursing in 2018. I have been in UHBW trust for 10 years now and even though it has not always been easy I am proud to be a part of this trust and even more I am proud to be a part of my speciality.

Bindu Jinesh

Bindu Jinesh is a Band 6 nurse on the liver unit, currently on secondment as a stable cirrhosis CNS.

Charlette Graham-Brown

Charlette is one of the Band 6 nurses on the liver unit, who has a wealth of experience in caring for both gastroenterology and hepatology patients. 

Claire Styles

I became a practice education facilitator for gastroenterology and hepatology in 2022.All the skills and knowledge that I have accumulated over the years has now enabled me to help educate and support staff on A900 with their knowledge and skills in this speciality.

Tania Palmer

I have BSc with Honours in Adult Nursing; I trained at the University West of England and qualified in 2018. I started my nursing career as a Band 5 on the Hepatology ward (A522) in 2018 and have stayed in this team ever since.

In January 2022 I was lucky enough to secure a secondment with the Alcohol Specialist team, and now I assist the team with Bank Shifts In March 2023 I applied for the Band 6 post which I successfully achieved, and now work alongside the other Band 6's supporting the ward sister and supporting the whole team in the running of our ward.

Alice Williams

My name is Alice Williams, I am currently a band 6 registered nurse on A900 (hepatology and gastroenterology). discovered a passion for hepatology during my placement in 2nd year of nursing and during covid started learning the gastroenterology speciality which has allowed me to gain many more nursing skills. I am the link nurse for palliative/end of life and have a great interest in delivering a high quality of palliative/end of life care in hospital and also have a particular interest surrounding palliative care in cirrhosis patients.

Vikki Swift

I am a Senior Staff Nurse with 14 years of experience in proving healthcare for the University Hospitals Bristol NHS trust. The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that I make a difference to every patient's recovery, providing both emotional support and medical care. Outside of work I am a big Disney fan and I enjoy travelling with my two girls  and husband.

Susan Joseph

Victoria Iji

As well as working as part of the ward team and organising the junior dotor education programme for hepatology, I run the day case paracentesis clinic. I'm very passionate about cirrhosis in particularly and have a soft spot for all my liver patients. I love my role at the BRI, my work is often a pleasure thanks to my colleagues and lovely patients.