Thomas (Tom) Bainton

Biography: Tom is an obstetrics and gynaecology fellow at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital specialising in endometriosis. He is also a researcher at Imperial College London completing his thesis on developing an early prediction model for endometriosis and a better understanding of inflammation in disease development. He has worked extensively on patient and public involvement projects aimed at helping women with endometriosis and is a medical ambassador for the national charity The Endometriosis Foundation.

Horizon Fellowship project summary: Endometriosis is a common yet complex condition, with a variety of symptoms that can have a huge effect on people’s lives. Treatment is very person specific and the journey through diagnosis, investigation, treatment and follow-up is difficult to navigate and inefficient. Tom is developing a digital tool to allow secondary and tertiary care to build a relationship with patients from the moment of referral to gather background information and give specific guidance. This is then continued throughout the journey, allowing a more personalised approach to their care and better follow-up after treatment is commenced.

Estimated number of patients / staff impacted by the project: 1000 endometriosis patients in ICB initially per annum

Goal(s) for time on the Horizon Fellowship programme: Tom aims to develop a better understanding of the digital resources available to build personalised care tools, how to navigate the systems of hospital integration, and how to build and win a business case for ongoing support and funding.