Mr Nicholas Penney

Mr Nicholas Penney a highly experienced Consultant General and Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgeon, providing expert surgical care for patients with gallstones, hernias and acid reflux, as well as other upper gastrointestinal conditions. His approach uses advanced minimally invasive and robotic techniques to achieve faster recovery, less pain, and excellent long-term outcomes for patients. He works privately at the Spire Norwich Hospital and Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital and is Service Lead for General Surgery at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH). He is recognised for his expertise in minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, helping patients recover faster, with less pain and excellent long-term results. His pioneering work has been featured on BBC News and BBC Breakfast. He offers a wide range of treatments for upper GI conditions, including: • Gallstones and gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) • Groin / inguinal hernia repair surgery • Gastro-oesophageal reflux (heartburn) and anti-reflux surgery • Hiatus hernia and para-oesophageal hernia surgery • Achalasia surgery • Oesophageal and gastric cancer • Diagnostic and therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (OGD) Expertise & Innovation in Robotics Mr Penney established and leads the Upper GI Robotic Surgery service at NNUH, where he has pioneered several regional firsts. Most notably, he performed the region’s first robotic-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy — a highly complex cancer operation delivered at only a small number of centres in the UK. Surgical Training Mr Penney trained at Imperial College London and completed specialist surgical training in Surrey and Sussex, followed by a prestigious Robotic Surgery Fellowship in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, one of Europe's leading centres for oesophageal and gastric cancer surgery. Research & Teaching Mr Penney holds a PhD from Imperial College London having investigated the gut microbiome's role in recovery following surgery. His work has been published in leading journals including Gut, Annals of Surgery, Nature Food and Scientific Reports.  He remains active in clinical research on oesophagogastric cancer, robotic innovation and surgical outcomes. He is also deeply committed to education and training: • Training Programme Director for Robotic Surgery and Endoscopy in the East of England • Royal College of Surgeons Tutor for General Surgery at NNUH, guiding the next generation of surgeons. Patient-Centred Approach Mr Penney’s philosophy of care is personalised, evidence-based and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for his patients, whether managing cancer, reflux, hernias or other benign upper GI conditions.

"Evidence-based care tailored to each patient — taking the time to explain options and shared decisions."

1. 2006–2012
   MD · Medicine and Surgery

   Universidad de Navarra (GB)

2. 2012–2016
   Residency · General Surgery

   Universidad de Navarra (GB)

1. 2016-09–2017-08
   Junior consultant

   Universidad de Navarra Teaching Hospital — General Surgery

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2. 2 Brief pre-consult form
3. 3 Consultation
4. 4 Follow-up note & plan

Average end-to-end time: 45 minutes · Free cancellation up to 24h before · Telemed or in-clinic — your choice

h-index: 5 · i10: 4

Selected publications

1. Long-term follow-up of General Surgery across GB

   Mr Nicholas Penney, et al. · European Journal of Medicine, 2026

   DOI: 10.5278/euroclin.2026.0 · cited by 59

2. Validation of clinical scoring in General Surgery

   Mr Nicholas Penney, et al. · European Journal of Medicine, 2025

   DOI: 10.5420/euroclin.2025.1 · cited by 33

• Patient education Patient guide to General Surgery 2026-03-10 · 9 min read
• Awareness When should you see a general surgery? 2026-01-26 · 10 min read