Mr Josef Watfah

Mr Josef Watfah is a consultant general and colorectal surgeon with extensive international training and experience.

He completed his medical degree (MD) in 2000 and subsequently undertook his surgical training in Austria. During his early years as a junior trainee, he worked across two hospitals where he developed strong technical and non-technical skills in general surgery. Early in his training, he spent six months working in Derby, UK, where he developed a keen interest in the UK surgical training system and the delivery of healthcare.

Following this experience, he returned to Austria to complete his surgical training and was awarded his specialist diploma (equivalent to UK CCT) in 2009. He then pursued subspecialty training in visceral surgery. His excellent exposure to colorectal surgery led to his appointment as a junior consultant in late 2011.

Prior to this role, he spent a further year in the UK at the prestigious St Mark’s Hospital in London. There, he worked for nine months with Professor Robin Phillips, a leading figure in UK coloproctology, followed by a role as Resident Surgical Officer with Mr Janindra Warusavitarne and Miss Carolynne Vaizey. This provided him with extensive experience in complex intestinal failure and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgery.

On returning to Austria, he was appointed Deputy Consultant in the colorectal department at the Department of Visceral Surgery, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg. Alongside colleagues, he established a pelvic floor service and further developed his expertise in IBD surgery, colorectal cancer surgery, and multivisceral resections. With strong support from the Clinical Lead, he organised the first St Mark’s meets Salzburg meeting, which became the foundation for a successful international educational series showcasing St Mark’s expertise worldwide.

In 2014, he joined London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust as part of a developing Emergency General Surgery unit. He played a key role in building a high-quality service focused on safe, efficient emergency surgical care. His organisational skills and passion for innovation led to the delivery of several well-attended meetings in collaboration with the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). He served on the RSM council and was elected President of the Surgical Section in 2023.

Alongside his emergency surgery work, his elective practice has focused on benign colorectal surgery (excluding IBD), including surgery for diverticular disease and reversal of Hartmann’s procedures. He has a strong interest in coloproctology and was awarded the FEBS (Fellow of the European Board of Surgery) in Coloproctology after successfully passing the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) examination in 2023. He has also developed significant expertise in complex abdominal wall hernia surgery.

Within the NHS, he has held leadership roles including Clinical Governance Lead and Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) Lead, and has acted as both educational and clinical supervisor to many trainees, several of whom are now consultants. He is actively involved in patient safety initiatives and clinical review groups.

He has a strong interest in healthcare leadership and management and completed a Level 7 Senior Healthcare Executive Management Apprenticeship with distinction in May 2025.

His professional journey continues to evolve, and he is currently part of an international teaching faculty delivering training in advanced coloproctology techniques, including THD and Anolift, to colleagues from abroad.

Mr Watfah provides services at his base NHS hospital and also sees private patients at locations in Central London.