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Rachel Hargest

Miss Rachel Hargest

Clinical Senior Lecturer

School of Medicine

Email
Hargest@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29206 87130
Campuses
Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research, Room 3F08, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN

Overview

I am a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Colorectal Surgery and a member of the Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative (CCMRC). My clinical practice is performed mainly at University Hospital of Wales, with day surgery and clinic commitments at Llandough and Velindre hospitals respectively. I run a large, tertiary colorectal practice with special interests in colorectal and anal cancer, genetic disorders which predispose to colorectal cancer, redo and damage limitation surgery, the "catastrophe abdomen" and intestinal failure and complex proctology including fistulae.

I collaborate with other members of CCMRC in studying the mechanisms by which tumours can metastasize (spread) throughout the body. I jointly supervise PhD and MD students, and coordinate clinical placements for visiting overseas post graduate students and doctors.

As part of the delivery of C21 undergraduate education I coordinate and provide placements for both Cardiff MB BCh and elective students from many parts of the world.

Publication

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Articles

Biography

Honours and awards

Outstanding International Collaboration Award 2020 - Awarded by Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital and University in recognition of long standing partnership with clinicians, joint supervision of PhD/MD students, research collaborations and promotion of international professional friendship and understanding.

Winner of Faculty of Surgical Trainers Medal 2019 - Inaugural winner of FST Medal for Exceptional Contribution to Surgical Training awarded by the Faculty of Surgical Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.  Awarded in recognition of “your support for students and trainees over many years, the impact of your innovative training techniques and your commitment to excellence in surgical education.”

Silver Scalpel Award 2017 - This prestigious award is given by the Associaiton of Surgeons in Training (ASIT) to the best surgical trainer in the UK.  Following nomination by surgical trainees from Cardiff and further afield, ASIT visited Cardiff to interview myself and colleagues. Assessment was made across five domains - leadership, resourcefulness, training and development, professionalism and communication. Following the interivews, the final 3 candidates were assessed by a panel including the presidents of the four Royal Colleges of Surgery and chaired by Sir Bruce Keogh (NHS England Medical Director).   The award was presented at the annual meeting of ASIT in Bournemouth in April 2017.

British Medical Journal Gastroenterology Team of the year award 2015
The Cardiff and Vale Health Board Intestinal Failure Team won the BMJ Gastroenterology team of the year award in 2014. This was for our work over the last 5 years to improve services for Welsh patients who require home total parenteral nutrition. Since I took on the surgical lead role in this team we have been able to offer surgery to patients in Wales, who would previously have had to travel to London or Manchester. The team provides very high standards of medical and nursing support, along with excellent surgical outcomes for those who require surgery.

NHS Award for improving patient care 2012
During my time as lead clinician for colorectal cancer (2010-15) the colorectal team at University Hospital of Wales won this award for introducing an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program for patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer.

Professional memberships

  • General Medical Council
    • Registered with GMC, with a licence to practice
    • On the Specialist Register (General Surgery) since 1999
    • Appeals Assessor
  • Royal Society of Medicine (RSM)
    • President Section of Surgery (2016-17)
    • Trustee and member of RSM Council (2011-2019)
    • Honorary Treasurer (2014-2019)
    • Director of RSM International (2014–2019)
    • Director of RSM Support Services (2014- 2019)
    • Director of RSM Press (2012-2013)
    • Treasurer of Surgical Section of RSM (2010-2012, 2021-present)
    • Secretary of Surgical Section of RSM (2012-2013)
    • Member of Coloproctology section of RSM
    • Council member of Gastroenterology Section of RSM (2013-present)
  • Royal College of Surgeons (RCS)
    • Council member (2020-present)
    • Academic representative on Welsh Board of RCS (2007-2015)
    • RCS representative on Advisory Appointments Committees
  • National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
    • Royal College of Surgeons representative on the management board of NICE- National Collaborating Centre for Cancer (2008-2016)
  • British Association of Surgical Oncology
    • Trustee and Member of BASO National Executive Committee (2011-2015)
    • EJSO representative 2011-15
  • Society of Academic and Research Surgeons
    • Council member
  • Member of Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland (ACPGBI)
    • Member of Disciplinary Panel of ACPGBI
  • Member of British Society of Gastroenterology
  • Member of Welsh Association of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
  • Member of International Society for Hereditary Gastrointestinal Tumours
  • Member of Assoication of Surgeons of Great Britain and ireland

Academic positions

  • 2000-2007 Honorary Lecturer, Cardiff University

Committees and reviewing

  • Editorial and peer reviewing duties
    • Recent Advances in Surgery
    • Joint Editor (appointed 2015)
  • Peer reviewer for the following journals:
    • The Lancet
    • Annals of Royal College of Surgeons
    • British Journal of Surgery
    • European Journal of Surgical Oncology
    • Cellular Oncology
    • Gut
    • BMC Gastroenterology
    • BMC Cancer
    • International Journal of Dermatology Research and Therapy
    • Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
    • World Journal of Surgery
  • Peer reviewer for the following grant giving organisations:
    • Royal College of Surgeons of England
    • Department of Health in Scotland