The General and Colorectal surgery department serves the population of the North East Sector of Manchester.
We have a team of eight consultant laparoscopic colorectal surgeons and six general surgeons offering a full programme of elective surgical care to patients. Procedures offered include removal of the gallbladder, hernia repair and proctology procedures as well as care for patients requiring bowel resection following a diagnosis of bowel cancer or for treatment of diverticular disease or inflammatory bowel disease.
This clinical team also provide emergency care for patients presenting to urgent care at Royal Oldham Hospital and patients can be transferred to this service from Fairfield General Hospital or Rochdale Infirmary should they require emergency surgical care. The consultant team is supported in the care they provide by a full team of junior doctor colleagues and the multi-disciplinary team on the wards and in theatres.
Patients referred for Cancer care are supported by a team of seven specialist nurses and support staff including our patient navigator team. We also have close links with the stoma care service in the community in order to support patients requiring this care.
Outpatient services
- Nurse-led telephone consultation – for referrals with a potential bowel cancer
- Consultant-led telephone consultation – for all referral types where appropriate
- Consultant-led face-to-face clinic – for all referral types where appropriate
Operations
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- Removal of “lumps and bumps”
- Hernia repair
- Anal procedures (treatment of haemorrhoids, fissures etc.)
- Bowel procedures to treat cancer, diverticular disease and IBD
- Procedures to treat a prolapse
- Procedures to reverse a stoma
This team is supported by the endoscopy and radiology teams in providing diagnostic procedures.
When attending for an outpatient appointment – either by telephone or face-to-face please prepare by ensuring that you have a list of all current medication you are taking. In addition to taking a history of your symptoms in order to diagnose you, and depending on your symptoms, you may undergo abdominal or rectal examination if you are seen face-to-face.
It is also helpful to have a list of questions prepared in advance so that you don’t leave the consultation without an answer to a key query.
Whilst we endeavour to run to time, we ensure that all patients are given the time they require for their consultation and so this can mean that clinics do not run to time. It is advisable to bring a book or magazine for the period whilst you may be waiting.
Please make us aware in advance if you have additional needs for example requiring interpreting services or mobility requirements.
- The Royal Oldham Hospital
- Fairfield General Hospital
- Rochdale Infirmary
Patients are referred to our services by their general practitioner through the electronic referral system (ERS) or from another member of the team at this hospital or at another hospital.
We request that all patients referred to our Colorectal two-week-wait cancer diagnostic service have a FIT test and blood testing completed in primary care in order to support risk stratification and onward care.
- Endoscopy
- Radiology