About Kent ENT Partnership
Robert Hone and Ali Al-lami met when they started higher surgical training together in Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery, They have both undertaken masters degrees (for which both gained a distinction) and have undertaken prestigious advanced surgical fellowships at world famous institutions. They interviewed for the same job but due to their calibre and reputation were both appointed to East Kent University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They have been instrumental in the development of local ENT services such as research studies, robotic surgery, new outpatient equipment and endoscopic biopsy clinics to benefit their patients. Kent ENT Partnership prides itself on exceptional standards, with high quality patient-centred care. We would be delighted to receive your referral.
About Robert Hone
Robert Hone is a leading Consultant ENT surgeon at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, One Ashford Hospital & KIMS Hospital. He is one of the regions top surgeons having trained throughout South East England, rotating through ENT units in London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Mr Hone undertook a prestigious, nationally appointed Advanced Head & Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. He completed his paediatric ENT training at Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. During training, he completed a Masters of Surgery, for which he attained a Distinction. He qualified from Guy’s, Kings and St Thomas’ Hospital School of medicine in 2008 and completed an intercalated Batchelor of Science degree in physiology in 2005.
Robert Hone believes in the highest standard of care and places patients at the centre of the consultation and decision making process. He takes time to listen and explore patients’ concerns and symptoms via a thorough history and examination. His communication and surgical skills have been consistently highlighted as areas of excellence throughout the annual appraisals process. The care he provides is of the highest standard and is an expert in his field.
Robert Hone is a respected ENT specialist with an established reputation and recognised throughout the region. He spent a year working for King’s College London as anatomy demonstrator where he still gives lectures every year as part of a Bachelor of Science degree program. He has set up local and regional teaching programmes, including training days for trainee surgeons within the Kent, Surrey and Sussex School of Surgery. Furthermore, he was the regional trainee academic and research representative throughout his training and has been nominated as consultant trainer of the year and educational supervisor for the past 2 years.
Mr Hone has presented his academic work at multiple national and international meetings. He has numerous peer review publications, including book chapters and papers as individual and collaborative works on hearing, thyroid and parathyroid disease, head and neck cancer, Meniere’s disease, surgical training and diseases of the nose and sinuses. He continues to take an active role in research recruiting for the PET NECK 2 clinical trial and is principal investigator in East Kent for PATHOS, which is an international phase III clinical trial, subsequently leading to the foundation of a head and neck robotic programme for the Trust. His quality improvement and service development projects include a dozen audits and new departmental equipment for outpatients and theatre.
In his spare time, Mr Hone loves spending family time with his wife and two daughters. He is a keen sports fan having played to a high standard at school, and university. He enjoys looking after the rescue animals he has re-homed.
About Ali Al-lami
Ali Al-lami is a consultant ENT/Head and Neck surgeon based in Kent and the South East of England with over 10 years surgical experience.
Mr Al-lami graduated from the University of London and completed an intercalated BSc at the University of Leeds in Anatomy, achieving distinctions and first class grades in all of his 6 undergraduate years. He developed an early interest in Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)/head & neck surgery and pursued that interest as a medical student and subsequently won the annual Sydney Scott & Henry Silverman ENT medical student prize. After graduating, he completed a postgraduate Master’s Degree with Distinction in International Health Management & Leadership from the University of Sheffield. This was achieved whilst undertaking higher ENT specialist training as well as completing his postgraduate speciality board exams.
Mr Al-lami undertook postgraduate ENT training in hospitals in Cambridge, London and across the Kent, Surrey & Sussex deanery. He has had tertiary level paediatric ENT training at the two world renowned hospitals of Great Ormond Street and Evelina London childrens hospitals where he learnt the coblation technique for tonsils and adenoids removal. He completed a prestigious nationally appointed fellowship at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospitals where he further developed his subspeciality interest in head & neck, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, including robotic surgery. He visited many international centres including spending time in Australia to gain further knowledge and experience. He has had specialist head and neck robotic training in the UK, France and Belgium.
Mr Al-lami commenced his consultant post at East Kent Hospitals in 2020. With the help of Mr Hone, Mr Al-lami led and established the Head & Neck Robotic Programme at the Trust. He has also helped Mr Hone set up the local anaesthetic ENT procedures service at the Trust. Mr Al-lami seeks excellence in what he does for his patients and goes the extra mile for their care. He aims to provide a personalised care of the highest quality.
Mr Al-lami is academically involved in the field of research in ENT. He has published 10 papers in peer reviewed journals and he is frequently invited to give lectures and as a faculty in courses. He has won many postgraduate prizes including the prestigious annual ENT Masterclass International Conference silver medal for a research project that contributed to national guidelines.
Mr Al-lami is passionate about education and teaching. He is the course director of the ENT consultant’s exam preparation course in the region and is involved in undergraduate teaching at Kent & Medway Medical School.
Mr Al-lami enjoys travelling, cycling and spending time with his young family including baking cakes with his wife and 2 beautiful daughters.
Qualifications: (BSc (1st Hons), MBBS (Distinction), MSc (Distinction), MRCS, DOHNS, FRCS (ORL-HNS)
Special interests:
- head & neck robotic surgery
- benign and surgical oncology
- thyroid and parathyroid surgery
In Association With Codruta Neuman
Codruta Neumann is an internationally respected ENT Consultant with a specialist interest in Otology and Paediatric ENT based in Kent. She is based in Canterbury and Ashford as part of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and works privately at One Ashford Hospital and The Chaucer Hospital, Canterbury. She associated with Kent ENT Partnership in 2023.
Ms Neumann completed her surgical training in Kent, Surrey and Sussex before being selected through the highly competitive national selection process to complete her higher surgical training in East Anglia, including the prestigious Otology Fellowship at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. During her training she completed a Masters Degree in Evidence Based Medicine and Health Technology Assessment. She conducted clinical research in age-related hearing loss in the world-renowned Sanger Institute and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Appointed as a Consultant in Kent in 2014 she has dedicated herself to building a centre of excellence in ear surgery and offering the most advanced techniques to her patients. She led the development of a local hearing implant centre that offers a variety of solutions to patients such as BAHA, Bonebridge, Soundbridge and Osia.
Codruta Neumann’s dedication to the teaching and training of ENT surgeons has resulted in her being invited to many national and international courses as faculty including the Cambridge Advance Otology Course, ENT Masterclass and London Temporal Bone Course. It is her passion to inspire and train a new generation of doctors in her role as a Senior Lecturer in ENT at the Kent and Medway Medical School. She teaches in the MCh in ENT Surgery at the Canterbury and Christchurch University.
Codruta Neumann has built a national and international reputation of excellence and is invited as faculty to numerous conferences. She is an esteemed member of the British Society of Otology, Politzer Society, Meniere’s Society, ENT UK Society and Royal Society of Medicine. She was recently elected as the Treasurer for the Politzer Society, the international scientific society of Otology and Neuro-otology and the first female member of the Board since its inception in 1971.
Ms Neumann has published extensively in peer reviewed journals. She was the principal investigator in an international multicentric randomised trial of trans-tympanic treatments for Meniere’s disease. Currently she researches the treatment of severe and necrotising otitis externa in a multicentric national study as a principal investigator and mentors and supervises an associate investigator and research team.
Her dedication to her patients is amply demonstrated in the feedback she receives, having been awarded the “I Want Great Care” Certificate of Excellence for 5 years running.
In her spare time Ms Neumann enjoys spending time with family and friends, road cycling, gourmet cooking and visiting art galleries.
In Association With Mr Andriy Drypen, Audiologist
Andriy Drypen is an Audiologist with 16 years of experience in hearing and balance assessments and rehabilitation. Before starting his own Audiological practice, “All Ears”, Andriy practiced at several hospitals in London, working with prominent consultants and allied healthcare specialists helping to set up and run their clinical services. The exposure to such a variety of healthcare services, as well as clinical aptitude, helped Andriy implement the latest techniques and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment in his private clinic.
Andriy’s specialist interests lie in paediatric hearing assessments, as well as adult hearing and balance investigations and rehabilitation. He also offers tinnitus therapy and the latest sophisticated hearing aid technology.
Working in association with KENT ENT Partnership, Andriy can offer a truly comprehensive and integrated Audiological service to everyone in Kent and the surrounding areas.
Click here to find out more about All Ears! Independent Hearing Specialists and the services they offer.
About Rebecca Semmens
As Practice Manager, Rebecca is responsible for the practice management team at Kent ENT Partnership for Mr Hone and Mr Al-lami.
Her role is varied; she runs the ENT out-patient clinics and theatre lists, liaising with patients, hospitals and medical providers from the beginning of the process through to patient discharge. She offers a friendly and efficient service and is always on the end of the phone or email to answer any queries or concerns, however big or small. She also handles the billings and is the point of contact for insurers, hospitals and patients once they have been seen in clinic or as an in-patient. She oversees the social media platforms for Kent ENT Partnership and along with the team, keeps the website updated. Her excellent attention to detail combined with her friendly communication skills both help to ensure the smooth running of Kent ENT Partnership.
Rebecca began her Medical Practice Management career 10 years ago. Her early working life started in the newspaper industry writing, researching and copy editing for several National Newspapers. This led to the position of PA to the Editor and subsequently, Arts Picture Editor. She took a few years away from the workplace to spend time with her young family after which Rebecca trained as a Teaching Assistant, focusing on providing special educational needs for primary school children on a one to one basis.
Ten years ago, Rebecca took an opportunity to help set up an ENT private practice, which required her experience in writing, researching and copy editing to launch a website and social media platforms as well as running the day-to-day administration for the practice. This role consolidated her move into providing an excellent practice management service for private medical consultants – a culmination of the skills and qualifications gained throughout her career. She has been providing administrative support for Kent ENT Partnership since 2020.
In her spare time, you will find her out in her garden, or pitch-side watching her children play sport. She loves travelling and spending time with her family on the North Norfolk coast.
About Victoria Acquah
Victoria provides general administrative support for the Kent ENT Partnership.
Victoria started her career as a dental nurse in her home town of Tenterden, Kent before moving to London and working for a Harley Street dental practice where she worked her way to become Practice Manager.
In 2006 Victoria moved to Dubai, UAE with her now husband and worked in a large dental practice before moving to work for a British law firm running their front of house team. In 2009 she moved to Doha, Qatar and worked for a prominent Law firm as part of their front of house team as client liaison as well as supporting the secretarial teams. After starting a family in the Middle East, she came back to Kent in 2017 where she now lives on the Kent coast.
Victoria joined Kent ENT Partnership in November 2021 to help in the office with general administration duties and patient support. When she is not working, Victoria is often found on the beach with her young family.