Nine consultant urologists from across the North East have come together to open a private clinic at The Beverley Hospital in Team Valley, Gateshead, as almost 370,000 people nationally wait for NHS care. Forbury Newcastle opens this week, bringing the regional specialists together as Tyneside Urology Partners.
All of the consultants also hold NHS posts at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including the Freeman Hospital, while several studied or trained in the North East. The new clinic will treat conditions including kidney stones, enlarged prostate, prostate and bladder cancers, recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), incontinence, erectile dysfunction and complex reconstructive conditions.
Launch amid record waiting lists
Its launch comes as 368,963 people in England were waiting for NHS urology treatment at the end of July 2026, with around 65% having waited less than 18 weeks. Bosses at Forbury Newcastle say it will provide care for insured and self-funding patients and that it is recognised by all major medical insurers.
Rather than operating as separate private practices, the nine specialists will work as a partnership, matching patients to the consultant with the most relevant expertise for their condition. For example, a patient with complex kidney stones will be matched to a specialist in stone disease, while someone with recurrent UTIs, prostate cancer or incontinence can see a consultant specialising in that area.
Partnership model and modern services
The new Gateshead clinic will also offer paperless prescribing, allowing patients to collect medication from their chosen pharmacy or have it delivered to their home, alongside AI-assisted clinic letters to support faster communication with patients and GPs.
Mr Matthew B.K. Shaw, the clinical lead for Tyneside Urology Partners, said: “Urology covers a huge range of conditions and, between the nine of us, we have developed expertise across every area. Working as a partnership means we can put the patient’s problem first and match them with the consultant best placed to help them.
“We all have strong links to the North East and understand the needs of patients here. We’re excited to bring this approach to private urology care in the region.”
Specialist expertise and expansion
Mr Shaw specialises in kidney stones, enlarged prostate and prostate cancer diagnosis. He developed holmium laser prostate surgery in the North East and was the first surgeon to perform it in Newcastle. He is joined by Bhavan Rai, consultant urological and robotic surgeon at the Freeman Hospital, who specialises in robotic surgery for prostate, kidney and upper urinary tract cancers. In 2025, Mr Rai received the British Association of Urological Surgeons’ Karl Storz Harold Hopkins Golden Telescope Award.
The partnership also includes Jonathan Barclay, Rajan Veeratterapillay, Arjun Nambiar, John Fitzpatrick, Campbell Tait, Angus Luk and Rahul Gujadhur. Forbury Newcastle is a joint venture between The Forbury Clinic – which provides private medical care in Reading, Newcastle and London – and The Beverley Hospital and marks The Forbury Clinic’s expansion into the North East.
