Personal Profile
Mr Stephen Ward completed his medical degree at St George's Hospital London in 2003 with a distinction in clinical sciences. He obtained a first-class honours intercalated degree in Basic Medical Sciences and was awarded a prize for outstanding performance in written clinical examinations. His basic surgical training took place in Kent and South London before he joined the Higher Surgical Training programme in the West Midlands. He took time out from his surgical training to undertake a PhD in cancer immunology at the University of Birmingham - his thesis was entitled 'The selective recruitment of regulatory T cells to colorectal cancer.'
He has been awarded research grants from the Medical Research Council, various cancer charities and the University of Birmingham. Towards the end of his surgical training, he was awarded a travelling fellowship, spending time at the University Medical Centre of Amsterdam to learn advanced techniques for the treatment of rectal cancer.
He took up a Consultant post at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2018, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. He is trained in the laparoscopic approach, or keyhole surgery, for the treatment of bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and general surgery operations such as hernia repair. He also has a keen interest in the treatment of anal fistula disease and is a member of the Proctology Committee of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland.
Besides scientific research interests, he has published analyses of 'big data projects. One such project interrogated national endoscopy data to determine the average learning curve to competency in performing colonoscopy. His interest in data analysis has led him to develop systems to analyse colorectal surgery outcome data at University Hospitals Birmingham.
He is also the colorectal audit lead and chairs monthly clinical audit and outcome meetings. He supervises junior and senior trainees and is a registered trainer with the GMC.
