Avon Obesity Service is a multidisciplinary team at Spire Bristol Hospital, consisting of the following key people:

• Dr Andrew Johnson (consultant physician)
• Mrs Sally Johnson (coordinator and administrator)
• Mrs Sharon Bates (nurse and weight loss surgery specialist)
• Mrs Lynn Sawyer (dietician)
• Mr Justin Morgan (consultant surgeon)
• Miss Sally Norton (consultant surgeon)

Dr Andrew Johnson MD FRCP

Dr Johnson is a consultant physician with specialist interests in obesity, diabetes and endocrinology. He runs busy clinics in these specialities at the Southmead (NHS) and Spire Hospitals in Bristol. Dr. Johnson co-ordinates the comprehensive and multidisciplinary assessment of people considering obesity surgery.

Where necessary he also manages their obesity related medical problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure, before, during and after their surgery.

Mrs Sally Johnson

Mrs Johnson trained and worked as a radiographer in the NHS. Now she personally looks after all the people who have been referred to Avon Obesity Service and who are actively considering obesity surgery.

She co-ordinates their assessment appointments, their surgery and post-operative care and ensures that all their needs are addressed.

Mrs Sharon Bates MSc RN RM Dip Co

Mrs Bates trained and worked as an NHS Registered Nurse in Accident & Emergency and Coronary Care, then as a Midwife and also as an NHS Manager. She is a qualified and experienced Rogerian Counsellor. She trained with Dr Vincent Frering in Lyon, France and was one of the first nurses to specialise in the UK and work as a Clinical Nurse Specialist / Counsellor in Surgery for Weight Loss.

She has particular expertise in the preoperative preparation and postoperative support of people undergoing gastric banding and has personal insight having undergone it herself 7 years ago.

Mrs Lynn Sawyer MSc RD

Mrs Sawyer is a specialist dietician with particular expertise in obesity and diabetes. She runs NHS clinics in conjunction with the consultant diabetologists at Southmead Hospital, Bristol and with Dr Johnson at the Spire Hospital, Bristol.

She has particular expertise in the nutritional assessment of patients with weight problems and helping them make lifestyle changes. She undertakes extensive preoperative and postoperative nutritional assessments of people considering gastric banding.

Mr Justin Morgan MD FRCS

Mr Justin Morgan is a consultant General, Endocrine and Transplant Surgeon at Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust and the Bristol Spire Hospital. As well as his interest in thyroid and parathyroid surgery, he has had a long interest in weight loss surgery.

He trained in Lyon, France with Dr Vincent Frering, one of the most experienced gastric band surgeons in the world who has personally performed over 4000 laparoscopic bandings. Currently he prefers gastric banding as a first-line treatment for people with morbid obesity.

Miss Sally Norton MD FRCS

Miss Norton is a consultant laparoscopic and Upper GI Surgeon at Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust and the Spire Hospital Bristol. She has had a specialist interest in weight loss surgery for over 5 years having undertaken a year long fellowship in Australia to train with Mr George Fielding an experienced weight-loss surgeon. This provided her with hands on experience of bypass surgery procedures and gastric banding.

Currently she prefers to perform laparoscopic gastric banding as a first-line treatment.