GP Vascular Masterclass: Meet the Experts

Prof Stephen Black is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and a Professor of Venous Surgery at Kings College, London. He is the Site Lead for Surgery at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and the Co-R&D Lead for the Cardiovascular Directorate (Cardiology, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery). He was Clinical Lead for Vascular Surgery for 4 years (2019-2023).

Dr Black is the Co-founder & Medical Director of UK Vein Clinic. In private practice he undertakes medical consultations and minimally invasive procedures at 150 Harley Street, London, UK. For complex work, Dr Black's private practice is at Harley Street HCA Clinic in London and Ramsey Ashtead Hospital in Surrey.

His principal clinical interest is the treatment of venous disease. Prof Black has established a large practice in the treatment of both Acute and Chronic Deep Venous Disease as well as superficial venous disorders and together with a comprehensive multi-disciplinary team of colleagues at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, is part of one of the largest such services in Europe.

His basic medical training was in South Africa (University of the Witwatersrand) before emigrating to the United Kingdom in 2001. He completed a MD degree at St Marys Hospital and Imperial College London in 2006 under the supervision of Mr John Wolfe and Lord Ara Darzi. In 2011 he received the fellowship of the European Board of Vascular Surgery.

Prof Black is the program director for both the European Venous Forum Hands on Workshops (EVF HOW) and The Charing Cross Vascular Symposium Venous Programme. He was the Venous Tutor for European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS) from 2014-2018 and is an examiner for the Fellowship of the European Board of Vascular Surgery.

He has lectured and published extensively on the subjects of treatment of acute and chronic DVT as well as the treatment of superficial venous disease in addition to other areas of vascular surgery and education. He is currently on the Editorial Board for International Angiology.

Prof Black is the global and UK principal investigator for a number of ongoing trials and actively involved in research to improve the treatment of patients with venous disease and have been involved a number of first in man procedures.

Prof Black is also Course Director of Vascular Interventions Online (VIO).

Mr Paul Moxey is Consultant Vascular Surgeon at St George's University Hospital in London, UK. His practice encompasses all aspects of vascular surgery, from varicose veins to carotid disease, with a particular research interest in peripheral vascular disease and keyhole angioplasty techniques. 

Ashish Patel qualified from The Royal Free and University College Medical School in 2004. He has been a consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and a clinical senior lecturer with the school of cardiovascular medicine and sciences at King's College London since 2018.

His British Heart Foundation funded PhD at King's College London was awarded in 2012. He completed his higher surgical training with the London deanery in general and vascular surgery as a clinical academic lecturer at King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in 2018. During this time, he was awarded the British Journal of Surgery Prize at the Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland meeting in 2015 and a Global Star and Rising Star Award at the Charing Cross International Symposium in 2018. He also received an Academy of Medical Sciences Grant and the Circulation Foundation's George Davies Visionary Award.

Ashish is an editor on Vascular and Endovascular Review and reviewer for many other journals. He is on the writing committee for the European Society of Vascular Surgery Radiation Protection Guidelines.

Lily Benton is a Vascular Specialist Nurse, working in the Emergency Vascular Clinic at Guy’s and St Thomas’. She manages and plans care for patients with a variety of vascular conditions including venous disease, critical limb ischaemia and aortic aneurysms.

Lily runs the varicose vein treatment days in the clinic and has a special interest and experience in venous research, helping to develop new treatments and better pathways for patients. A leading nurse in her field, Lily has been recognised repeatedly as an outstanding nurse. She has primary investigator roles for multiple vascular studies, has won the Nightingale nursing award, and in 2023 was nominated for the Heart, Lung and Critical Care Nurse of the Year award.