The specialist stone unit at the BUI, Southmead Hospital, Bristol,  provides services for Bristol, the surrounding region, and as a tertiary referral centre for South West England.

After clinical review, our expert stone surgeons suggest management plans that are individually tailored to you, the patient. Management decisions are typically based upon stone factors (type, size and location), kidney factors (number, function, previous surgery) and patient factors (other illnesses or factors that may make surgical intervention higher risk).

The stone services offered through the specialist stone unit includes:

Onsite extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL)

This treatment uses machine generated shock waves to break up urinary stones. The treatment sessions are carried out as daycase procedures and last for approximately 30 minutes. You should be sent home within 2-4 hours. The stone unit has an onsite lithotripter and a dedicated lithotripsy team who meet weekly to plan stone treatments. We offer an emergency shock wave lithotripsy service and are involved in national trials in stone treatment.

Uretero-renoscopy and laser lithotripsy

This treatment is carried out under a general anaesthetic and involves a thin camera is passed through the urethra, bladder and into the ureter and/or kidney. A tiny laser is then passed through the camera and is used to break up stones into smaller pieces. These procedures are typically carried out as daycase. You may have a plastic tube (stent) left inside to help protect the drainage of the kidney after this procedure.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy

This treatment is carried out under a general anaesthetic and involves a small incision in the skin near the kidney affected by kidney stones. A needle is then inserted into the kidney by an interventional radiologist under ultrasound guidance. The needle entry is then stretched enough to allow a special camera instrument to pass into the kidney and retrieve the stone fragments. This type of treatment is typically reserved for larger kidney stones (greater than 1.5-2 cm) or stones which are difficult to access with a flexible uretero-renoscope. Following this procedure you would typically stay in hospital for 1 to 5 days.

Laparoscopic and open renal stone surgery

This treatment is rarely used and is always carried out under general anaesthetic. Laparoscopic surgery involves multiple keyhole incisions in the abdomen. An open operation involves a large incision (10-15 cm) over the flank, to expose over the site of the kidney or ureter. This treatment maybe offered, for exmaple, if other stone treatment methods have not been successful or there is little or no remaining kidney function in a kidney with stone disease.

Metabolic stone service

We work alongside our colleagues in the renal (kidney), biochemistry and microbiology departments in order to identify reasons why patients form recurrent kidney stones. The aim of metabolic tests is to prevent stone recurrence.  

This page has information about the Urology One Stop Clinic. 

What is the clinic for? 

The Urology One Stop Clinic aims to help patients have consultations and tests all done in one visit. This is more efficient for you and us. 
You may see different members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) including doctors, specialist nurses and radiographers. 

How soon will I be seen? 

You must be referred by your GP. If you are referred because your GP suspects you might have cancer, we try to see you within 2-3 weeks of your referral. This is often called a “fast-track referral.” For other referrals we aim to see you within 6-8 weeks. 

Before your visit 

• You may be sent some leaflets or forms to complete in the post or by text. Please read them carefully.
• Your letter may ask you to arrange or some blood or urine tests at your GP. It is important you do this so we have the results ready for your appointment.
• If you are going to have a CT scan, you may be advised to drink water or not eat for a few hours before this. Please check your letter for instructions.
• Please bring a list of any medicines you take including ones you buy yourself such as herbal remedies.
• It can be useful to bring someone with you to appointments. 

During your visit

You will usually see a doctor or nurse first, and they may then send you for some tests or scans. Some will be on different days.  These may include:

• Urine tests.
• Blood tests.
• Flow rate tests.
• Questionnaires about your symptoms.
• Flexible cystoscopy.
• Ultrasound.
• X-rays.
• CT scan.
• MRI scan.

If you need surgery: 

• You may be asked to go to one of our pre-assessment clinics to check you are fit for the procedure. This might include tests like an ECG (heart trace), blood tests, and X-rays.  

Questions to ask

When you come to your Urology One Stop appointment, you may have a lot of questions. It is normal to find it difficult to remember things at the time of and after your appointment so here are some tips to help you.  

Before your appointment

During your appointment

After your appointment - don't forget the following

Tests, such as blood tests or scans

What next?

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published June 2025. Review due June 2028. NBT003478.

For elective surgery, patients are asked to report to Theatre reception at Gate 21, Level 3 in the Brunel building, Southmead Hospital.

Patients who require a hospital stay after their surgery (inpatient) will be transferred from to Ward 34b which is a dedicated urology ward.

GMC number: 6041454

Year & location of first qualification: 1994, Gulburga University, Karnataka, India

Specialty: Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

Clinical interests: Infection, Antimicrobial therapy, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial therapy, sepsis.

Secretary: Josephine Poad

Telephone: 0117 414 6273

Member of Royal College of Physicians, London
Member of Royal College of Pathologists, London
Member of British Infection Association
Member of British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Member of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

What is Urology

Urology is the field of medicine that focuses on the urinary tract and the male genital organs.

 

The urinary tract consists of the:

• kidneys
• bladder
• ureters
• urethra.

The organs covered by urology include the:

• kidneys
• ureters
• urinary bladder
• urethra
• male reproductive organs (testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate and penis)

Urology is a surgical speciality and can trace its origin to medieval lithologists, who specialized in surgical removal of bladder stones. Today, urology combines management of medical (i.e. non-surgical) problems such as urinary infections and surgical problems such as the correction of congenital abnormalities and the surgical management of cancers.

Only 15-20% of patients who are referred to Bristol Urological Institute by GPs require surgery. So, if you are referred to us this does not mean you will necessarily be advised to have an operation.

Bristol Urological Institute accepts general referrals for urological problems including patients suffering with stones, incontinence, suspected cancer, erectile dysfunction and catheter problems.

All two week wait referrals should be made via NHS e-Referrals.

For inter-provider referrals for cancer care email: cancerservices@nhs.net

Patients are normally referred mainly from secondary care, particularly gynaecologists and urologists.

The majority of referrals are from Bristol and the surrounding area but we also receive referrals from the rest of the South West and beyond.

Urinary Retention & Catheter Related Problems

Visit this page to access a guide on the management of patients with urinary retention or other catheter related problems.

GMC Number: 4621409

Year of first qualification: 1999, University of Nottingham

Speciality: Acute Medicine

Clinical interests: Acute kidney injury

Secretary: Lisa Williams

Telephone: 0117 414 1141

Will you help us?

Please tell us about your experiences using our Maternity Services. We want to provide you with the best possible care and support during your pregnancy and after the birth of your child. It’s important to us that we hear from as many people as possible about their experience using our services so that we understand what is working well and what we can improve. Take a moment to share your feedback to help future mums, partners, and families using Maternity Services at North Bristol NHS Trust. 

What is the Friends and Family Test?

A way for patients to give us feedback by answering two simple questions.

The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) is a quick and anonymous way for people to provide feedback on the care or treatment they received from NHS services. 

The ratings and comments patients share with us help us to identify areas for improvement and to give staff the opportunity to hear about the difference they have made through the care they’ve received.

The results, in the form of the percentage of patients with a good experience, are published transparently on the NHS website. 

You can find out more about how it works by watching the following FFT animations on YouTube:

• NHS Friends and Family Test
• NHS Friends and Family Test (British Sign Language translation)

What questions will you ask me?

You will be invited to complete the FFT at several points during your care. In Maternity Services this will include:

• Antenatal care – following your 36-week antenatal appointment
• Birth and care on the postnatal ward – you will be surveyed at or shortly after discharge from the ward/birth centre/following a home birth.
• Postnatal community care – you will be surveyed at discharge from the care of the community midwifery team to the care of the health visitor/GP (usually at 10 days postnatal)

You may be asked while you're still on the premises by a staff member or one of our Feedback Volunteers, or you may be contacted once you have returned home. We may ask you to give your feedback by email, feedback cards, text message, or using our website.

If you do not want us to contact you to ask for your feedback you can tell us by contacting PALS on 0117 414 4569 or by emailing PALS@nbt.nhs.uk. 

North Bristol NHS Trust work with Healthcare Communications to collect FFT feedback. Our lawful basis for processing your data can be found in the Trust’s Privacy Policy. Please refer specifically to Article 6 (e) & (f) of the General Data Protection Regulations which is relevant to this project.

You may not be asked every time you visit one of our hospitals to give feedback, but you should be able to give feedback if you want to. You can: 

• fill out the online form that is linked on this page
• scan a QR code found on posters across our hospitals that will take you to the survey
• fill out a feedback card in waiting areas and wards

If you cannot find a feedback card and want to fill one out, please ask a member of staff. You can always use links to the relevant surveys below:

Antenatal feedback

Birth feedback 

Postnatal Ward feedback 

Postnatal Community feedback 

How can I find out what you have done with my feedback?

All our departments display a poster with the positive and negative scores for their department. These posters will also share some things people have told us about their experience and what we have done to improve that. You can also find the scores on the NHS England website.

Do I have to respond to the question?

Your answer is voluntary. Your answer will not be traced back to you, and your details will not be passed on to anyone.

But if you do answer, your feedback will provide valuable information for the service to celebrate positive feedback and identify opportunities to make improvements.

Is it for my friends and family members to fill out?

It is for you or your friends, family members and carers to respond to.

Why is it called the Friends and Family Test?

When the Friends and Family Test was launched in 2013, it asked people to think about whether they would recommend the service to their friends or family members. 

In April 2020 changes were made to the FFT to make it easier to respond to and for staff to make better use of the feedback. As a result, it no longer asks this question about friends and family members, but it is still called the Friends and Family Test.

Accessible to all

We want to make sure that everyone is enabled to give feedback about their care. The web version of our survey has a button built in that adds text-to-speech, reading and translation support. However, if you need assistance due to a disability or mental health condition or you need a paper copy of the survey, please contact us by telephoning 0117 414 4569 or emailing PALS@nbt.nhs.uk. 

A friend or family member is welcome to answer the question on your behalf, if this is appropriate.

If you feel that you should have been given the opportunity to respond, but did not receive the question, you can give feedback on this page by selecting the relevant survey below:

Antenatal feedback

Birth feedback 

Postnatal Ward feedback 

Postnatal Community feedback 

GMC Number: 4739263

Year of first qualification: 2000, University College London

Specialty: Acute Medicine

Clinical interests: Patient safety, clinical leadership and service design

Secretary: Lisa Williams

Telephone: 0117 414 1141

GMC Number: 6148689

Year of first qualification: 2000

Specialty: Radiology

Clinical interest: Vascular and interventional radiology

Secretary: Alex Bessant

Telephone: 0117 414 9007

Dr Peter Mezes gained his Diploma in Medicine in 2000, became a Specialist in Radiology in 2010 and gained his European Board of Interventional Radiology qualification in 2012.

Dr Mezes areas of interest includes endovascular interventions (peripheral arterial disease, endovascular aneurysm repair, venous intervention, venous and haemodialysis access, transarterial embolisation including uterine fibroids).

His non vascular interventions interests includes upper and lower gastrointestinal stenting, percutaneous biliary procedures, percutaneous nephrostomy and ureteric stenting, percutaneous image guided biopsies.

Professional memberships:

• British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR)
• Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Society of Europe (CIRSE)
• European Society of Radiology (ESR)