Dr McNair is a highly regarded Consultant Gastroenterologist with over 27 years experience at consultant level. He aims to provide the highest possible quality of service to all his patients.

As an NHS consultant, he is based at The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Greenwich and University Hospital Lewisham) and he undertakes private practice at The Blackheath Hospital.

Training

He was trained at Cambridge University and The Middlesex Hospital in London, qualifying in 1985. His training was largely based at King’s College Hospital where, having worked in the regional liver centre, he developed a particular interest in liver disease and therapeutic endoscopy.

Qualifications

• MA, MB, BChir (Cambridge) 1986
• Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) 1988
• Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) 2001
• CCST 1996
• Bronze National Award 2009

The Bronze National Award resulted from his research in the fields of liver disease and endoscopy and work for national and regional organisations.

Research

After work at St Mary’s Hospital as a registrar, Dr McNair was awarded a Fellowship researching the effects of agents used to treat viral liver disease (hepatitis B and C). This resulted in a PhD and a number of publications in international journals. He has also published papers in other clinical areas of liver medicine, including the management of abnormal liver function and gall stone disease.

His subsequent research has centred around his interest in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy leading to publications in national and international journals in a number of areas including the management of anaemia and dyspepsia, comparative studies of different types of sedation used in endoscopy and techniques used to document high quality standards in colonoscopy.

Clinical Work as a Consultant

Since his appointment as a consultant, he manages a broad range of conditions affecting the intestine and liver. Particular areas of interest include Crohn’s disease and colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and coeliac disease. He also manages a wide variety of liver conditions including fatty liver disease (now termed ‘Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease’ or MASLD), autoimmune liver disease including ‘Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis’ and alcohol related liver conditions.

Dr McNair also has extensive experience in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy. He is a ‘Bowel Cancer Screening colonoscopist’ undertaking weekly sessions at University Hospital Lewisham. He performs ‘transnasal endoscopy using ultrathin endoscopes to examine the oesophagus (gullet) and stomach. Using this method minimises discomfort and can be used without sedation in patients who want to avoid drowsiness after the procedure or combined with sedation in patients who are anxious. He also performs advanced techniques including removal of polyps and balloon dilatation of strictures (opening areas of narrowing in the oesophagus or intestine).

Patient Feedback

He actively seeks feedback from his patients and achieves highly positive reviews in all areas assessed: https://www.doctify.com/uk/specialist/dr-alistair-mcnair

Other Clinical and Management Roles

• Clinical lead for endoscopy services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for over 10 years
• Clinical Director for gastroenterology at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
• Secretary of the endoscopy section of the British Society of Gastroenterology from 2009 to 2012
• BSGE representative on the Royal College of Anaesthetists working party developing guidelines for ensuring safe sedation practice for healthcare procedures 2012
• Regional Gastroenterology Training Programme Director 1999

Publications

• Patel J, McNair A 2020.  Identification of upper gastro-intestinal malignancy in patients with uncomplicated dyspepsia: A single centre, 10 year experience. European J Gastroenterol Hepatol, Jan;32(1):22-25. doi:10/1097
• Powell N, Knight H, Dunn J, Saxena V, Mawdsley J, Murray C, Hoare J, Teare J, McNair A. Images of the terminal ileum are more convincing than caecal images when verifying the extent of colonoscopy. Endoscopy 2011; 43: 196-201
• Hayee B, Dunn J, Loganayagam A, Wong M, Saxena V, Rowbotham D, McNair A. 2009. Midazolam with Pethidine or Fentanyl for colonoscopy: Results of a randomised trial. Gastrointest Endosc 69:681-7
• Powell N, McNair A. 2008  Gastrointestinal evaluation of anaemia patients without evidence of iron deficiency.  European J Gastro Hepatol. 2008. 20:1094-1100
• Powell N, Hayee BH, Yeoh DPK, Rowbotham D, Saxena V, McNair A 2007  Terminal ileal photography or biopsy to verify total colonoscopy: does the endoscope agree with the microscope?  Gastrointest Endosc 66:320-325

• Endoscopy
• Gastroscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Polypectomy
• Capsule Endoscopy
• ERCP
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Coeliac Disease
• Dyspepsia
• Heartburn
• Barrett’s Oesophagus
• Abdominal Pain
• Colorectal Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Gallstones
• Liver Disease

• Royal College of Physicians
• British Society of Gastroenterologists