Zenker Appeal

Supporting the National Centre of Flexible Endoscopic Treatment of Zenker’s Diverticulum

Zenker’s diverticulum (also known as a pharyngeal pouch) is a rare but distressing condition in which a pouch forms at the top of the oesophagus (food pipe). This happens due to muscle spasm at the entrance of the gullet and can cause difficulty swallowing, regurgitation of food, coughing, weight loss, and a significant reduction in quality of life.

In 2013, Professor Sauid Ishaq introduced a pioneering flexible endoscopic procedure to treat Zenker’s diverticulum in the UK. Our centre now acts as a national referral service, caring for patients from across the country. This innovative treatment allows most patients to be treated as a day case, avoiding major surgery and enabling faster recovery.

Our work has been recognised at national medical meetings, where our results and outcomes have won prizes. The success of this service relies on a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team including expert anaesthetists Dr Andrea Gait and Dr Andy Downs, specialist nurses Hannah Peverell, Jodie Buckley, Jill Harper, Tracey Young, Kay Boyce, led by Stephanie Jones, with vital support from Dr Adrian Hall (Radiology) and Linzie Priestnall (Speech and Language Therapy).

How your donation helps

Your generosity will help us:

• Continue delivering this specialist, life-changing treatment

• Support training and development of our expert nursing and clinical teams

• Improve patient care, assessment, and outcomes

• Advance research and innovation for this rare condition

Suggested donations

• £10 – helps support patient care and essential equipment

• £50 – contributes to specialist training and service development

• £100 – supports innovation, research, and national referral services

Every donation, no matter the size, makes a real difference to patients living with Zenker’s diverticulum. Thank you for supporting the Zenker Appeal and helping us change lives.