Services/Networks

The Adrenal Tumour Service, led by the University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust Endocrine Department, acts for both the local population of 383,000 plus a regional service drawing patients from each of the 4 Cancer Networks which form its regional network of a total population of 3.5 million. The Service provides access to Consultant- and Nurse-led Outpatients Clinics, dynamic endocrine testing, as well as access to regular multi-disciplinary team meetings and individualised patient’s management. 

Core members of the Adrenal multi-disciplinary team (MDT) include endocrinologists, nurses, surgeons, radiologists, oncologist and pathologists. The team members work closely together to assure the best management and best possible outcome for patients with different types of adrenal tumours. All patients are also offered the opportunity to participate in research, which is carried out at the Institute of Metabolism and System Research (University of Birmingham) in collaboration with national and international networks. 

The Adrenal Tumour Service and Adrenal MDT have been awarded in the summer 2022 the ‘Centre of Excellence’ status by the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours (ENSAT), an international network dedicated to improving care for patients with adrenal tumours. The Award of Centre of Excellence status recognises the outstanding contribution of the UHB Adrenal Tumour service to both care and research for affected patients obtaining credits in all the five evaluated domains (or ‘stars’) which relate to areas of adrenal tumour care (including adrenal cancer, aldosterone-producing adenomas, adrenal incidentalomas, pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma), with the fifth star relating to research into causes as well as new tests and therapies for adrenal tumours.

The Adrenal Centre of Excellence  - University of Birmingham

In line with GIRFT recommendations and interactions with the Society for Endocrinology, Bone and Calcium Specialist Endocrine Networks have been advocated regionally and coordinated nationally. 

Professor Neil Gittoes formalised a Midlands regional multi-professional and multidisciplinary network of colleagues in endocrinology, rheumatology, imaging, biochemistry, genetics, and nursing to create a MDT to discuss complex cases and also to share recent developments in the field of osteoporosis and mineral metabolism. The grouping also has a remit for a journal club feature. 

The Midlands Regional Bone and Calcium Specialist Network meets alternate months by Teams and cases are submitted for discussion prior to the MDT by completing a proforma. The meeting is serviced by Ms Julie Croot and chaired by Professor Neil Gittoes, Head, Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (CEDAM). 

While the MDT serves specific clinical needs for case discussion and patient care, the format also provides excellent opportunities for those in training to gain great clinical experience in this field of endocrinology. Furthermore, cases are often presented by doctors in training, thereby serving as an additional opportunity for networking at regional level and beyond. 

If you wish to submit a case to discuss or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Julie directly.

Birmingham hosts one of the busiest paediatric endocrine and diabetes practices in the UK, based in our stand alone Women’s and Children’s Hospital. All our NHS consultant colleagues are research active and contribute to treatment advances, NHS guidelines, policy making, and undergraduate and postgraduate education.   

Our strategy is to continue to expand our portfolio of investigator-led research in paediatric endocrinology and diabetes, and to develop 4 key focus areas: a) type 1 diabetes and rare diabetes syndromes; b) childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolism; c) metabolic bone disease; d) adrenals, steroid metabolism and Disorders of Sexual Differentiation (DSD).  

Current areas of study include:

1. The DUCHESS study to understand the causes of childhood androgen excess and risk for polycystic ovarian syndrome in later life.  
2. Childhood Obesity research, based on our leadership of the Complications of Excess Weight regional multidisciplinary team service. 
3. Occult rickets and osteomalacia in Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood (NIHR portfolio) and implication on public health policies of vitamin D supplementation 
4. Diagnosis of childhood rickets and association between histological and radiological rickets.  
5. Prevalence, risk factors and thresholds of vitamin D and dietary calcium deficiency for the development of osteomalacia in adolescents  
6. Structured education programmes and Automated Insulin Delivery systems to improve time in range in children and young people with type 1 diabetes from diverse ethnic and deprived socio-economic backgrounds  
7. Improving outcomes for children and young people with diabetes from socio-economically deprived groups- the Diversity in Diabetes Study (NIHR) 
8. Semaglutide as an add-on treatment to optimise glucose control in type 1 diabetes (JDRF) 
9. Development of a novel repurposed drug treatment for the neurodegeneration and diabetes in Wolfram syndrome: international randomised controlled trial (MRC DPFS)

The endocrinology department at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital was peer reviewed in 2022 and recognised for its excellence in patient care. The diabetes department consistently achieves glucose outcomes better than the national average.

The Type 1 Diabetes Research Special Interest Group is network of research groups working in the field of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Birmingham 

We are organising a series of quarterly meetings within the network to share T1D related research updates, research issues, good news, upcoming T1D related events and highlighting a particular group’s research work.