Endocrinology

Endocrine diseases or conditions can affect many parts of the body and support vital aspects of the human body including sexual development, regulating metabolism and weight gain. As a result, treatment of related conditions can be severe and life-threatening, which is why endocrinologists work closely with surgeons and clinicians across other specialties.

There were over 626,686 endocrinology outpatient attendances in England (2018/19) – and numbers continue to grow annually. In the past five years, endocrine outpatient activity, excluding diabetes and obesity, grew by 31% compared to 17.5% for general medical outpatient activity.

The GIRFT report identified 126 trusts providing endocrinology services, but also acknowledges that endocrinology activity has not always been recognised or captured by trusts in their clinical coding systems.

Professor John Wass

Clinical Lead for Endocrinology

Professor of Endocrinology at Oxford University, and former head of the department of endocrinology at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Churchill Hospital, Oxford

John Wass is the Professor of Endocrinology at Oxford University and was head of the department of endocrinology at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford until 2012.

His research interests include all pituitary tumours, especially acromegaly, adrenal disease, angiogenesis in endocrinology, and the genetics of osteoporosis and thyroid disease.

Since 1975 he has published more than 385 articles in scientific journals and written many reviews and chapters in textbooks, including the Oxford Textbook of Medicine.

He was President of the European Federation of Endocrine Societies from 2001-2003 and Chair of the Society for Endocrinology (2006-2009. He has also served as President of the Pituitary Society.

In 2017 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pituitary Society in the USA. He has won a number of prizes and given named lectures including the Jubilee Prize of the Society for Endocrinology.

In June 2015 he was awarded the Distinguished Physician of the Year Award by the American Endocrine Society; the first non-American to ever receive this award.

He was Academic Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians from 2012 to 2015.

John also presented the acclaimed documentary ‘The Fantastical World of Hormones’ on BBC4.

Useful information

Best practice for Thyroidectomy Documentation
View the ‘GIRFT, RCS and BAETS Best Practice for Thyroidectomy Documentation‘.
Endocrinology – Outpatient Recovery and Transformation Programme
NHS England Outpatient Recovery and Transformation Programme have produced a guide, ‘Implementing PIFU in endocrinology services guidance‘ to support systems and trusts in setting up formalised patient initiated follow-up in their endocrinology services.

GIRFT endocrinology recommendations aim to offer better care for patients with wide range of endocrine disorders

Hospitals can improve outcomes for patients who need endocrine surgery by directing them to surgeons who perform the specialist operations more often, according to the national report for endocrinology from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme.

Outpatient services can also be run more efficiently by making better use of pre-testing and remote appointments, while endocrine specialist nurses can significantly improve the efficient running of departments, the report says.

The new GIRFT national report adds to growing evidence that consolidating thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pituitary surgery can lower the rate of complications, improve outcomes from surgery and reduce the length of time patients stay in hospital.