Dr Pauline Leonard graduated from St George’s Hospital Medical School in 1992 having started as a mature student in 1987. She obtained her MRCP in 1995 and within a few months started her specialist training as a Medical Oncologist at UCLH.  She completed a MD in gene expression profiling in Osteosarcoma at UCL before taking up her first consultant role in 2002 at Southend University NHS Foundation Trust sub specialising in gastrointestinal (GI) and lung malignancy.

After 7 years working in both a cancer centre and as a visiting oncologist to a cancer unit she took up her current post as Lead Cancer Clinician at the Whittington Hospital in April 2009. She incorporated the learning from her previous post and ran a 6 month Acute Oncology pilot in 2009 the results of which demonstrated that sick patients who present to the emergency department with either a known or suspected cancer benefit from earlier Oncological intervention.  She believes acute medical & surgical teams can work more effectively by incorporating the specialist skills of an oncologist to help manage patients who present with suspected cancer so tailoring more appropriate investigations.

She believes the results of well thought out solution focussed projects completed to address the local needs can influence the wider health landscape not just for patients but commissioners of value based care

She is also has very keen interest in the importance of excellent communication skills on the quality and outcomes of patient/health care professional consultations.