Oncology
Committee Members
Vishwanath Hanchanale (Chair)
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Vish is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Hospital and originally joined the team in 2019. He was elected Secretary for a second term from January 2024 and took over the role of Chair in January 2025. His special interests include managing prostate and bladder cancer patients (i.e. pelvic oncology).
After qualifying in medicine in India, he pursued a urological career and completed specialist and robotic surgery training in Leeds. To enhance his robotic skills, he supplemented his robotic training with attachments in Belgium and New York.
Vishwanath Hanchanale
Chair
Vish is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Hospital and originally joined the team in 2019. He was elected Secretary for a second term from January 2024 and took over the role of Chair in January 2025. His special interests include managing prostate and bladder cancer patients (i.e. pelvic oncology).
After qualifying in medicine in India, he pursued a urological career and completed specialist and robotic surgery training in Leeds. To enhance his robotic skills, he supplemented his robotic training with attachments in Belgium and New York.
Email: vishwanath.hanchanale@gmail.com
Bhavan Rai (Vice-Chair)
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Bhavan is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle and joined the team in 2021. Bhavan was elected to Vice Chair with effect from January 2025. After completing robotic fellowships at the University of Leipzig, Germany and Lister Hospital, Stevenage,
He has focused on robotic surgery. He has a specialist interest in prostate cancer and upper tract urothelial cancers. His research interest includes systematic reviews, outcomes research and surgical educations.
Bhavan Rai
Vice-Chair
Bhavan is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle and joined the team in 2021. Bhavan was elected to Vice Chair with effect from January 2025. After completing robotic fellowships at the University of Leipzig, Germany and Lister Hospital, Stevenage,
He has focused on robotic surgery. He has a specialist interest in prostate cancer and upper tract urothelial cancers. His research interest includes systematic reviews, outcomes research and surgical educations.
Email: urobhavan@gmail.com
Gokul Kanda Swamy (Secretary)
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Gokul is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Morriston Hospital, Swansea and joined the team in January 2023. He was elected to Secretary with effect from January 2025.
Gokul Kanda Swamy
Secretary
Gokul is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Morriston Hospital, Swansea and joined the team in January 2023. He was elected to Secretary with effect from January 2025.
Email: kgvignesh@yahoo.com
Imran Ahmad (Elected Member)
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Imran is a Senior Lecturer at the Beatson Institute & Honorary Consultant Urological Surgeon at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow. Imran joined the team in January 2023.
Declaration of interests: Imran is a proctor for Intuitive Surgical
Imran Ahmad
Elected Member
Imran is a Senior Lecturer at the Beatson Institute & Honorary Consultant Urological Surgeon at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow. Imran joined the team in January 2023.
Declaration of interests: Imran is a proctor for Intuitive Surgical
Email: imran.ahmad@glasgow.ac.uk
James Armitage (Elected Member)
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Jim is a Consultant Urologist and the Urology Clinical Lead at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge and joined the team in 2021. His special interests include renal and testicular cancer.
Declaration of interests: James receives honoraria from Eisai and Olympus.
James Armitage
Elected Member
Jim is a Consultant Urologist and the Urology Clinical Lead at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge and joined the team in 2021. His special interests include renal and testicular cancer.
Declaration of interests: James receives honoraria from Eisai and Olympus.
Email: james.armitage@addenbrookes.nhs.uk
Benjamin Ayres (Elected Member)
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Ben is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at St George's Hospital, London and joined the team in January 2024.
Benjamin Ayres
Elected Member
Ben is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at St George's Hospital, London and joined the team in January 2024.
Email: benjamin.ayres@nhs.net
Elizabeth Bright (Elected Member)
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Elizabeth is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and joined the team in January 2023. Her specialist interests include renal and bladder cancer, MDT streamlining and developing innovative patient pathways.
Elizabeth Bright
Elected Member
Elizabeth is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and joined the team in January 2023. Her specialist interests include renal and bladder cancer, MDT streamlining and developing innovative patient pathways.
Email: ebright9@gmail.com
Benjamin Lamb (Elected Member)
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Ben is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Barts Health and UCLH NHS Trusts and joined the team in 2021. After a Fellowship in uro-oncology and robotic surgery at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, Ben spent four years as a Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. He has a research interest in multidisciplinary cancer teams (MDTs), and has presented work on decision making, non-technical skills, and leadership in MDTs. Ben is a Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Champion.
Declaration of interests: Ben received funding from Cancer Alliances and Health Education England for training MDTs in assessment and quality improvement methods in the United Kingdom. Ben is a paid consultant for Cambridge Clinical Laboratories, and has received honoraria for speaking from Astellas and Astra Zeneca Alliances and Health Education England for training MDTs in assessment & quality improvement methods in the United Kingdom.
Benjamin Lamb
Elected Member
Ben is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Barts Health and UCLH NHS Trusts and joined the team in 2021. After a Fellowship in uro-oncology and robotic surgery at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, Ben spent four years as a Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. He has a research interest in multidisciplinary cancer teams (MDTs), and has presented work on decision making, non-technical skills, and leadership in MDTs. Ben is a Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Champion.
Declaration of interests: Ben received funding from Cancer Alliances and Health Education England for training MDTs in assessment and quality improvement methods in the United Kingdom. Ben is a paid consultant for Cambridge Clinical Laboratories, and has received honoraria for speaking from Astellas and Astra Zeneca Alliances and Health Education England for training MDTs in assessment & quality improvement methods in the United Kingdom.
Email: ben.lamb@nhs.net
Suresh Venugopal (Elected Member)
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Suresh is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Broadgreen & Liverpool United Hospitals and joined the team in January 2025.
Suresh Venugopal
Elected Member
Suresh is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Broadgreen & Liverpool United Hospitals and joined the team in January 2025.
Email: suresh.venugopal@liverpoolft.nhs.uk
Shiv Pandian (Co-Opted Member)
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Shiv is a Consultant Urological Consultant at the North Middlesex Hospital, London. As an experienced urologist with a special interest in urological oncology, he was co-opted to bring a more generalist view to the committee activities.
Shiv Pandian
Co-Opted Member
Shiv is a Consultant Urological Consultant at the North Middlesex Hospital, London. As an experienced urologist with a special interest in urological oncology, he was co-opted to bring a more generalist view to the committee activities.
Email: sspandian@aol.com
Tharani Nitkunan (Ex-Officio: Trustee)
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Tharani is a Consultant Urologist at Epsom General Hospital in Surrey. Tharani was co-opted to the team in January 2025 as the BAUS Trustees Representative.
Tharani Nitkunan
Ex-Officio: Trustee
Tharani is a Consultant Urologist at Epsom General Hospital in Surrey. Tharani was co-opted to the team in January 2025 as the BAUS Trustees Representative.
Email: tharaninitkunan@nhs.net
Waleed Elsayed (Ex-Officio: BSoT)
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Waleed is an ST7 Specialist Registrar in the West Midlands Deanery and is currently working at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. He joined the team in January 2025 having been elected as BSoT Representative on the committee.
Waleed Elsayed
Ex-Officio: BSoT
Waleed is an ST7 Specialist Registrar in the West Midlands Deanery and is currently working at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. He joined the team in January 2025 having been elected as BSoT Representative on the committee.
Email: waleed.elsayed2@nhs.net
Amarnath Challapalli (Co-opted Member: BUG)
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Amarnath is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Director of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in the management of urological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancers. He joined the team in October 2025 having been elected as the BUG representative on the committee.
Amarnath Challapalli
Co-opted Member: BUG
Amarnath is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Director of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in the management of urological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancers. He joined the team in October 2025 having been elected as the BUG representative on the committee.
Email: Amarnath.Challapalli@uhbw.nhs.uk