Dr Ray McCrudden

After completing degree courses in Dundee University, Scotland and the Gregorian University, Rome, Italy Dr McCrudden went on to study medicine, graduating from University College & Middlesex School of Medicine, University of London in 1990, then went on to gain his general medical training qualification MRCP from the Royal College of Physicians in 1994. He entered higher specialist training in Wessex for Gastroenterology, training in Swindon, Southampton and Portsmouth from 1995 - 2000. He was privileged to undertake scientific laboratory and molecular biology based research with clinician-scientists for 3 years at Southampton University, studying liver and pancreatic fibrosis in the Molecular Biology Liver Unit, for a Doctorate in Medicine. He took two years out of his final training to work full time as a gastroenterology registrar, working for 5 consultants in St Vincent’s Hospital Medical School, an inner city teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia from 2000 – 2003. There he was given a rare opportunity to work with outstanding and inspirational clinicians in a tertiary referral viral hepatitis and advanced endoscopy training centre, where he learned specialist endoscopy techniques such as interventional EUS & ERCP. After commencing his Consultant Gastroenterologist and General Physician in Internal Medicine post in 2003 he led the department of Gastroenterology from 2008 to 2013 and now leads the specialist services in Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Medicine whilst providing a regional service for Endoscopic Ultrasound. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and has been part of designing a national training course for trainee endoscopists in ERCP and EUS, as well working closely with the national endoscopy and gastroenterology body for quality in training (JAG). In January 2022 he was part of the national group in defining the curriculum for training in ERCP for graduates in the UK. In January 2024 he led jointly with another specialist to lead a group, publishing the curriculum for training in the UK for Endoscopic Ultrasound. He regularly contributes to National courses and more recently has taught abroad for example in Lahore General Hospital in Pakistan, and Ghent University Belgium as part of an international symposium on Endoscopy.

Generic GI conditions Common abdominal (Gastrointestinal or GI) complaints including abdominal pain, difficulty in swallowing, heartburn, pain on eating, losing weight, change in bowel habit, liver problems, deranged liver function tests, anaemia, pancreatitis, and diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer. Medical Conditions: some examples include the following  Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis, Coeliac Disease, Dyspepsia, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD), General Internal Medicine, Hepatitis, Hiatus Hernia, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Liver disease (Hepatology). Upper and lower Gastroentestinal growths or polyps requiring endoscopic diagnostic work up or advanced endotherapy to treat. Specialist Interests include the following: Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Medicine Pancreatology Quality in Endoscopy Training in EUS & ERCP Specialist Endoscopy Procedures:  Gastroscopy (Diagnostic and Therapeutic) Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Colonoscopy including removal of colonic polyps and Enteroscopy ERCP- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatograpy EUS - endoscopic ultrasound Resection of complex UGI growths in duodenum and ampullary adenomas Endotherapy for large pancreatic fluid collections