Ears
Hearing that has dropped, pain, repeated infections, ringing, pressure, and the shape of the ear itself.
Glue ear and repeated infectionsGrommets
If hearing has dropped, ears are painful, or a child is struggling to concentrate or slow to speak, fluid may be sitting behind the eardrum. Tiny tubes let it drain.
Tubes stay ~9 monthsFrom £3,465
What’s involved
Grommets are tiny tubes that sit in the eardrum and usually stay in position for around nine months. Glue ear is when fluid accumulates behind the eardrum. If your child has difficulty concentrating, speech delay, painful ears or lots of infections, they may benefit. See fees.
GrommetsPDF, 4.8MBPreparing your child for grommetsPDF, 3.9MBPerforated eardrumEardrum repair (myringoplasty)
A perforation that won't close by itself can cause repeated discharge, reduced hearing, and trouble with swimming and flying. It can usually be repaired without any visible scar.
No flying, 6 weeksNo swimming, 6 weeksFrom £6,330
What’s involved
Eardrum repair is necessary if you have a perforation that won't heal by itself. Often it can be performed without any visible scars. Any ear infection must be treated before the repair is planned.
Blocked, popping or full-feeling earsEustachian balloon tuboplasty
Muffled hearing, pressure that won't equalise, popping and sometimes dizziness. If medication doesn't settle it, the tube can be gently stretched through the nose.
Awake or asleepWorks for ~2 in 3Quote on request
What’s involved
Eustachian tube dysfunction usually means a narrower than normal tube. A wide, patulous tube instead causes autophony: hearing your body's own sound, along with fullness of the ear, fluctuating hearing or ear pain during exercise. Treatment begins with controlling inflammation. If that fails, the options are grommets or balloon tuboplasty, where a balloon is held in the tube for two minutes.
Eustachian balloon tuboplastyPDF, 0.9MBRinging or noises in the earTinnitus
Ringing, or the sound of your heartbeat in your ear. It can go alongside hearing loss or dizziness, so we'll test your hearing at the same appointment.
Assessed in clinicHearing test same visit£280 consultation
What’s involved
Tell us about any hearing problem and we can arrange to have your hearing tested at the same time as your clinic appointment.
Prominent earsEar reshaping (pinnaplasty or otoplasty)
Reshaping prominent or asymmetrical ears in those aged over 7 and under 18. The young person leads the decision, and nobody is asked to decide on the day.
Ages 7–18Free follow-up appointmentFrom £6,925
What’s involved
In November 2025 I became the first surgeon in UK or Ireland to be accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons to exclusively perform ear reshaping surgery in children and young people. Read the full guide for parents →
Nose
Blocked, runny, facial pain and pressure, loss of smell, and noses that never quite clear.
Sinus pain and a nose that won't clearSinus surgery (FESS)
Facial pain, a blocked nose, a runny nose, catarrh, reduced sense of smell and a dry, chesty or mucous cough. Most people only need the right medication; some need surgery.
Keyhole, through the nostrilsNo scarring or bruisingFrom £7,670
What’s involved
Getting started on the right medication is all that is required in most cases. Some people go on to require sinus surgery, also known as FESS, which is done through the nostrils so that there is no scarring and no bruising. I use modern image-guided navigation to make treatment safer and more precise.
Using a nasal douchePDF, 3.1MBA nose blocked on one sideStraightening the septum (septoplasty)
Your septum runs down the middle of your nose, separating the nasal cavities. No one has a completely straight septum, but a very bent one can affect your breathing.
Day caseNo visible scarFrom £5,200
What’s involved
Straightening the septum is done as a day case operation with no bruising and no visible scarring.
A constantly runny, reactive noseClarifix cryotherapy
Clarifix is the tradename for cryotherapy, freezing therapy, to the posterior nasal nerve. If you have a reactive nose that becomes blocked and runny, you may benefit.
Awake or asleepSelf-pay for nowFrom £3,390
What’s involved
Delivered by a device through the nostril under direct vision, with the pad applied to a specific place at the back of your nose. Most people feel significant benefit for several years following a single treatment. It can be done at the same time as other nasal procedures like sinus surgery, or by itself. NICE guidelines are awaited, and we think insurance companies will provide it once those are in place; until then it is mainly funded via self-pay. You can read more on the Stryker website.
Clarifix cryotherapyPDF, 1.5MBAdenoids blocking the back of the noseAdenoidectomy
A blocked nose, a runny nose or problems breathing at night can mean enlarged adenoids are blocking the back of the nose.
Children & adultsSee fees
What’s involved
By looking through your nose I'll be able to tell whether you'd benefit from having the adenoids removed.
Throat
Sore throats that keep coming back, voice changes, difficulty swallowing, and being unable to burp.
Tonsillitis that keeps coming backTonsillectomy, adults
Repeated tonsillitis, tonsil stones, snoring, or an enlarged tonsil that's worrying you.
Day case2 weeks off workFrom £4,430
What’s involved
The procedure is usually performed as day case surgery, but you will need two weeks off school or away from work.
Tonsils in childrenCoblation intracapsular tonsillectomy
Coblation, controlled ablation, aims to remove 95% of the tissue rather than 100%. Less painful, with a reduced risk of bleeding, and one week off school instead of two.
1 week off schoolLower bleeding riskFrom £4,530
What’s involved
The trade-off is a slightly increased risk of tonsil or adenoid regrowth. Coblation can be used outside the capsule but may have an increased risk of bleeding and pain, which is why I always perform this type of surgery within the capsule. It is my preferred choice for children and those with tonsil stones.
Professional voice usersManchester Voice Clinic
If you are a professional voice user, have had surgery to your voice box, or have had treatment or an event that has affected your voice, you may benefit from a joint assessment.
The AlexandraReport and video£636 package
What’s involved
I perform these assessments in the company of highly skilled senior speech and language therapists, using stroboscopy to take a very detailed look at the underlying cause. You leave with a comprehensive report and a video of the stroboscopy, and therapy sessions are available afterwards. We work with Help for Musicians.
Hoarseness that won't settleVocal cord lesions
If you have noticed a voice change that won't get better, it's important that your vocal cords are inspected. That can be done in clinic at your first appointment.
Seen at first visitFrom £4,270
What’s involved
Having a hoarse or croaky voice can also be related to how your nerves function, and that can be assessed at the same time. Early cancer of the vocal cords has an almost 100% chance of cure with treatment.
Unable to burpR-CPD
Retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction is now recognised as a debilitating condition. It often presents as an inability to burp, upper abdominal discomfort, gurgling sounds in the chest and excessive flatulence.
Usually works in 2 weeksFrom £4,280
What’s involved
Botox to the muscle under direct vision is the treatment of choice and usually works within two weeks. There can be a lump in the throat sensation for the first week in some people. If there is diagnostic uncertainty, a barium swallow will be requested.
Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunctionPDF, 1.3MBDifficulty or pain on swallowingInvestigation
Difficulty swallowing, or a swallow that has become painful, can be a sign of an infection or a sign of throat or oesophageal cancer. Early detection results in a much greater ability to cure.
Camera in clinic£280 consultation
What’s involved
It's often difficult to locate the problem yourself, but a flexible camera system in clinic will give us a very good idea about where the swallowing problem is coming from.
Throat cancerAssessment and treatment
A painful swallow, voice change, difficulty swallowing or ear pain. Caught early, a laser or robotic resection is sometimes all that is required.
Discussed at Christie MDTLaser or roboticQuote on request
What’s involved
In the past throat cancer was usually caused by smoking. It has become much more common in non-smokers and is thought to be due to HPV, human papillomavirus, infection. The chance of cure in HPV-related cancers is higher, but nonetheless the sooner it is caught the better. Before cancer surgery is embarked upon I will discuss your case with my head and neck cancer team at The Christie, and between us we will go through all the options available.
Neck
Lumps and swellings, the thyroid, salivary glands, and skin changes on the head and neck.
A lump in the neckRapid investigation
Neck lumps that come and go are usually completely normal. One that won't go away, is getting bigger, or is painful needs to be investigated.
Rapid investigation£280 consultation
What’s involved
We can organise investigations to find out what is causing the neck lump very quickly.
Thyroid problems and thyroid lumpsThyroidectomy
For an overactive thyroid where medical treatment hasn't worked, a lump where there is a suspicion of cancer, or a lump pressing on your windpipe or oesophagus.
Nerve-monitoredFrom £8,580
What’s involved
There is a risk to the nerve that supplies your vocal cords, so a nerve monitor is used in all cases to minimise this risk. If your thyroid hormone drops after surgery it is easily supplemented with a tablet, with no risk of unexpected weight gain if the dose is correct. There is an article of mine at Spire Manchester, and more at manchesterthyroidcentre.com.
Salivary gland swellings and stonesParotid and submandibular surgery
Salivary gland lumps can be due to stones in the gland, gland infections or tumours.
1 night in hospitalUrgent investigationFrom £4,745
What’s involved
Parotid lumps in front of your ear are most commonly benign, but facial weakness or pain can be a sign of cancer. Submandibular gland lumps are usually due to stones, but if there is a gland tumour there is a 50% chance of it being malignant, that is, containing cancer, so urgent investigation is very important.
Changing marks on the skinSkin lesion removal
A discoloured mark on your skin that is changing in size or texture, is bleeding or is itchy, may be a skin cancer.
Awake or asleepScars placed in natural creasesFrom £1,840
What’s involved
Once a biopsy has confirmed a cancer, removing it surgically is usually the most effective treatment. Care is taken to disguise scars within the natural creases in the skin.
Breathlessness or a persistent coughAirway assessment
Asthma that is not responding to inhalers, a cough not responding to treatment, or breathlessness on exertion, can mean a narrowing of your airway.
MultidisciplinaryRegional referralsQuote on request
What’s involved
I have close links with chest doctors and thoracic surgeons in the region, so whichever point of your airway is causing the problem, we'll find the best solution for you.
Snoring
Snoring can affect the harmony in the home, and it is treatable, but only if the treatment is aimed at the right place. If you are also exhausted during the day, or someone has seen you stop breathing, look at sleep apnoea as well.
Finding out where your snoring comes fromSleep endoscopy (DISE)
Snoring without sleep apnoea can be treated with a number of surgical and non-surgical techniques, depending on whether the noise originates from the palate, the back of the tongue or the tonsils.
At the start of surgeryQuote on request
What’s involved
At the start of your operation I will perform a DISE, a drug induced sleep endoscopy, to see the exact point of obstruction.
Snoring surgeryDISE-guided surgery
Snoring can affect the harmony in the home. Once we know where the noise is coming from, the operation is tailored to treat that particular area of obstruction.
Surgical and non-surgicalTailored to the siteQuote on request
What’s involved
Where the nose is the cause, septal or turbinate surgery may be what is needed instead. See Nose.
Sleep apnoea
When snoring is very severe it can be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea, or OSA. Sleep apnoea in children can affect growth and development and needs treatment. In adults, it is associated with heart problems and premature death.
Sleep apnoea in adultsSurgery or a mask at night
When snoring is very severe it can be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea, or OSA. In adults it is associated with heart problems and premature death.
Weight loss firstSurgery or a maskQuote on request
What’s involved
Once weight loss has been tried, surgery can help get oxygen into the body by opening the airways. In severe cases, air delivered via a mask at night may be required.
Sleep apnoea in childrenAdenotonsillectomy
Sleep apnoea in children can affect growth and development, and needs treatment.
1 week off schoolFrom £4,780
What’s involved
The solution in children is adenotonsillectomy, removing the adenoids and the tonsils together, generally using the gentler coblation technique.
Children
Everything above that applies to children, gathered in one place. Both Spire Manchester and The Alexandra Hospital have dedicated paediatric nurses and a dedicated paediatric ward, and I regularly work with the same anaesthetists.
Glue ear and repeated infectionsGrommets
If hearing has dropped, ears are painful, or a child is struggling to concentrate or slow to speak, fluid may be sitting behind the eardrum. Tiny tubes let it drain.
Tubes stay ~9 monthsFrom £3,465
What’s involved
Grommets are tiny tubes that sit in the eardrum and usually stay in position for around nine months. Glue ear is when fluid accumulates behind the eardrum. If your child has difficulty concentrating, speech delay, painful ears or lots of infections, they may benefit. See fees.
GrommetsPDF, 4.8MBPreparing your child for grommetsPDF, 3.9MBProminent earsEar reshaping (pinnaplasty or otoplasty)
Reshaping prominent or asymmetrical ears in those aged over 7 and under 18. The young person leads the decision, and nobody is asked to decide on the day.
Ages 7–18Free follow-up appointmentFrom £6,925
What’s involved
In November 2025 I became the first surgeon in UK or Ireland to be accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons to exclusively perform ear reshaping surgery in children and young people. Read the full guide for parents →
Adenoids blocking the back of the noseAdenoidectomy
A blocked nose, a runny nose or problems breathing at night can mean enlarged adenoids are blocking the back of the nose.
Children & adultsSee fees
What’s involved
By looking through your nose I'll be able to tell whether you'd benefit from having the adenoids removed.
Tonsils in childrenCoblation intracapsular tonsillectomy
Coblation, controlled ablation, aims to remove 95% of the tissue rather than 100%. Less painful, with a reduced risk of bleeding, and one week off school instead of two.
1 week off schoolLower bleeding riskFrom £4,530
What’s involved
The trade-off is a slightly increased risk of tonsil or adenoid regrowth. Coblation can be used outside the capsule but may have an increased risk of bleeding and pain, which is why I always perform this type of surgery within the capsule. It is my preferred choice for children and those with tonsil stones.
Sleep apnoea in childrenAdenotonsillectomy
Sleep apnoea in children can affect growth and development, and needs treatment.
1 week off schoolFrom £4,780
What’s involved
The solution in children is adenotonsillectomy, removing the adenoids and the tonsils together, generally using the gentler coblation technique.
Tongue tieFrenulotomy
Tongue tie can be associated with difficulty feeding, with choking or painful nipples and sometimes mastitis. Later in life it can be associated with speech problems.
Solved before you leave24-hour number after£280 (£230 + £50 hospital)
What’s involved
For babies under the age of 6 months, division is performed in clinic immediately following a full medical assessment, with on-site paediatric nurses and a comfortable breast-feeding room. It's not painful and your child will be able to feed straight away. During the consultation we will discuss the relative pros and cons in the presence of a senior paediatric specialist nurse; if it is felt that the procedure is not required then the hospital's policy is that it does not offer a refund. Dividing the tie is a fine balance between too little and too much, and if we err on the side of caution we will repeat the procedure free of charge. I also offer an adult tongue tie service for speech issues and pain with eating related to a tight frenulum. There is an article of mine at Spire.
Neck lumps in childrenInvestigation
Neck lumps that come and go are usually completely normal. One that won't go away, is getting bigger, or is painful needs to be investigated.
Rapid investigationPaediatric ward£280 consultation
What’s involved
Neck lumps in children are one of my main areas of paediatric expertise. We can organise investigations very quickly, and both hospitals have dedicated paediatric nurses and a dedicated paediatric ward.
