Meet the Team

VASBI President: Mr Jeremy Crane, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, The Commonwealth Building, The Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN Tel: 020 3313 5346 Email: [email protected]

Jeremy is a London-based consultant transplant and vascular surgeon. His NHS practice is at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust where he is an Honorary Senior Lecturer and the Lead for Education and Training in transplant and vascular access surgery. He us the Lead for Vascular Access Surgery and in 2011 set up a Vascular Access surgical program, the first of its kind in West London. Jeremy's practice encompasses kidney and pancreas transplantation, dialysis access surgery, vascular surgery (including varicose vein surgery) and he has a specialist interest in treating chronic wounds.

Vice President Dr Jennifer Hanko Consultant Nephrologist, Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB Tel: 02890 329241
Email: [email protected]

Jennifer has been a consultant nephrologist at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust since 2011. She qualified from Queen's University Belfast and did her postgraduate training in Northern Ireland and at Vancouver General Hospital where she developed her special interest in vascular access. She has an interest in all aspects of interventional radiology and works closely with renal surgeons and interventional radiologists. She is keen on a collaborative approach to working for patients benefit in challenging and complex vascular access cases.

VASBI Treasurer: Dr Kate Steiner, Consultant Radiologist, Lister Hospital, Coreys Mill Lane, Stevenage SG1 4AB Tel: 01438 284028
Email: [email protected]

Dr Steiner works as a consultant interventional radiologist at the Lister Hospital East and North Herts NHST. She has a subspecialty interest in vascular intervention and vascular imaging. In particular duplex U/S in AV access dysfunction and peripheral arterial disease.

VASBI Trainee Representative: (TBC)

VASBI Website: Mr Hiren Mistry, Consultant Vascular Surgeon, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS Tel: 020 3299 4428, Email: [email protected]

Hiren is currently working as a consultant vascular surgeon at King's College Hospital, London. He studied medicine at Unversity College London and qualified in 2000. He completed his surgical training in Yorkshire and London. He has worked at consultant level since April 2013 where he is lead for the vascular access programme.

He has excellent experience in all aspects of vascular surgery with a subspecialty interest in carotid surgery and vascular access surgery. He is an examiner for Guy's, King's and St. Thomas's medical school. 

Margaret Aitken, Vascular Access Clinical Nurse Specialist, Renal Unit, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow. Tel: 0141 452 3695 Email:[email protected]

2005 to present Renal vascular Access Clinical Nurse Specialist, having being instrumental in setting up the access service in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Forth Valley Health Board, and to its continuing evolvement and improvement. Prior to this I was Senior charge nurse Acute Renal ward 1989-2005, prior to this I was a Staff Nurse within the renal unit working in nephrology and regular dialysis unit. I have participated in research studies within access service, I teach on Early cannulation graft course which is for the multi-disciplinary team. I am one of the Authors of the  BRS/VASBI Cannulation recommendations, Contributor to the Life Threatening Bleed Guidelines, Co-Author of ELearning modules for Learnpro, (Scottish elearning platform) on Care and assessment of AVF and Care and Cannulation of AVG, which are now available to all Health boards in Scotland, Co-Chair MAGIC and Chair Scottish Vascular Access Group.

Alison Swain is the Renal Vascular Access Sister, Berkshire Kidney Unit, Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5AN, Tel: 0118 322 8526 
Email: [email protected]

Alison has spent most of her long career working in dialysis. She is a founding member of the BRS/VASBI Special Interest Group, whose work has included the development and production of the National Clinical Practice Recommendations for Needling of Arteriovenous Fistulae and Grafts for Haemodialysis. This group then also produced the Staff E-learning module on cannulation and Staff Clinical Competencies for Vascular Access Workbook. 
This work continues as part of the KQuiP Quality Improvement Project, named MAGIC (Managing Access, Generating Improvements in Cannulation), with which Alison continues to be involved, as the Regional lead for the SE Regional Network Collaborative Project on MAGIC, incorporating five major renal centres. Alison is currently a member of the BRS/VASBI group working on needle dislodgement strategy. She also manages the email distribution list for the Vascular Access Nurses

Dr Saeed Ahmed, Consultant Nephrologist, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TP Tel: 0191 565 6256
Email: [email protected]

I am a consultant Interventional Nephrologist. I qualified from Leeds University and did my postgraduate training in the North East of England. I have an interest in all aspects of Interventional Nephrology and work closely with vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. I have developed a number of interventional techniques and brought a new product to market. I am keen on collaborative approach to working for a patient's benefit in challenging and complex vascular access cases.

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Prof David Kingsmore, Consultant Surgeon – Vascular and Renal Transplant Surgery, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow.

Graduated 1992, and appointed consultant surgeon in Glasgow in 2005. My interest in vascular access has come through the experience of seeing the complete complex journey of renal failure, and the realisation that vascular access can be the biggest problem for patients. We have focused for 15 years in not only delivering the best care we can, but also training and in using research to improve procedures, increase options, make better decisions, and optimise the processes for patients. I believe that clinical research is the foundation for delivering optimal care.

Mr Damian McGrogan MD FRCS Consultant Transplant and Vascular Access Surgeon, Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast.

Damian was appointed to the renal transplant and vascular access service at Belfast Trust in 2022. He qualified from Queen's University Belfast and completed his research into vascular access outcomes whilst working in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He complemented his clinical training in Northern Ireland with subspecialty training in Manchester Royal Infirmary. 

Research   & Education Lead

info to follow 

Paul Joseph Patient Representative 

 In October 2020, I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), which requires me to undergo dialysis treatment three times a week at the Vale of Leven Hospital, a satellite of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Whilst my illness presents many challenges, I am committed to managing my condition as best as I can.

In a previous life I was involved in the hospitality industry, so it's no surprise that I have maintained my passion for the culinary arts which continue to play a significant role in my life.