Our Services A - Z - Colorectal Cancer
About the service
Colorectal cancer is also referred to as bowel cancer. Our specialist team is a well-established group of experts who ensure people diagnosed with colorectal cancer receive up to date holistic care.
The team comprises doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who manage the treatment of colorectal cancers.
- Our Services
We offer a comprehensive range of surgery including laparoscopic and open procedures.
Chemotherapy is provided at the Lilac Centre, St Helens Hospital and radiotherapy is given at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Patients following colorectal cancer treatment are followed up through the colorectal cancer surveillance programme.
- Hours of Service
The team can be contacted Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, except for bank holidays where they can be contacted the next working day.
There is a 24-hour answering service on the colorectal nurses' telephone numbers. Calls will always be returned within 24 hours of the message being left.
- Referrals from healthcare professionals
Please follow this link, to access the referral form for 2 week rule appointment for Colorectal patients.
Palliative or metastatic inpatients would be referred to the palliative care team, or if being discharged home, referred to the community Macmillan nurses – see important contact details for numbers.
- About the Team
The colorectal team have developed a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) consisting of the following ‘core’ group members. Meetings are held on a weekly basis on a Monday at 12.30pm
The core group members consist of:
Colorectal Surgeons
Mr Ajai Samad (Lead Clinician for Colorectal Cancer)
Mr Mike Chadwick
Mr Raj Rajaganeshan
Miss Ramya Kalaiselvan
Mr Nathan Appleton
Medical Oncologist – Dr Zahed Khan
Clinical Oncologist – Dr Victoria Shallcross
Consultant Histopathologist – Dr Carol Ross
Consultant Radiologists – Dr Mandar Varadpande and Dr Rajiv Menezes
Colorectal Nurse Specialists
Miss Angela Fitzgerald-Smith (Lead Colorectal Nurse Specialist)
Miss Helen Carroll (Colorectal Nurse Specialist)
Miss Gina Cave (Colorectal Nurse Specialist)
Mrs Desilyn Alana (Colorectal Nurse Specialist)
Cancer Support Worker
Mrs Jacquelyn Austin
MDT Co-Ordinator
Ms Lauren Lever
Extended Members of MDT:
Stoma Nurses – Mrs Jean O’Reilly, Mrs Louise Smith, Mrs Sandra Thomason
Consultant Gastroenterologist – Dr Ash Bassi
Consultant Palliative Medicine – Dr Anthony Thompson
Clinical Trials Research Practitioner – Ms Mandy McCairn
Acute Oncology Lead – Mrs Christine Rhall
Dietician – Mrs C Whittingham
Consultant Thoracic Surgeon – Mr J Asante-Saw (LHCH)
Consultant Hepatobiliary Surgeon – Mr Stephen Fenwick
Geneticist – Merseyside and Cheshire Clinical Genetics Service
Specialist Screening Practitioner – Dr Ash Bassi
Social Worker
Extension 1668 for inpatients
St Helens Access Team 01744 646600
Knowsley Access Team 0151 443 2600
Health Improvement Team
St Helens 0300 300 0103
Knowsley 0151 443 4900
Senior Team Members
Colorectal Surgeons
Mr Samad (Lead Clinician)
Mr Rajaganeshan
Mr Chadwick
Miss Kalaiselvan
Mr Appleton
Lead Colorectal Nurse Specialist
Angela Fitzgerald-Smith
Medical Oncologist
Dr Khan
Clinical Oncologist
Dr Victoria Shallcross
- Location and Clinics
Services are provided across both St Helens and Whiston Hospitals.
Clinics Held:
Monday AM - Mr Chadwick – Whiston
Monday PM - Mr Chadwick – St Helens, Miss Kalaiselvan - Whiston
Wednesday AM - Mr Appleton - Whiston (alternate weeks), Mr Samad – St Helens
Wednesday PM - Mr Appleton - Whiston (alternate weeks)
Thursday AM - Mr Appleton – St Helens (alternate weeks)
Friday AM - Mr Samad – St Helens, Miss Ramya Kalaiselvan
Friday AM - Mr Appleton – Whiston (alternate weeks)
Friday AM - Family Screening Clinic (once per month) HC
Friday PM - Mr Rajaganeshan – St Helens
- Contact Details
Lead Clinician
Mr Ajai Samad - 0151 430 1235
Lead Colorectal Nurse Specialist
Miss Angela Fitzgerald Smith - 0151 676-5252
Angela.fitzgeraldsmith@sthk.nhs.uk
Colorectal Nurse Specialist
Miss Helen Carroll - 0151 430-1269
Miss Gina Cave – 0151 290 4670
Mrs Desilyn Alana – 0151 430 2266
- Relevant Websites
Page last updated on 02nd February 2023
