Dr Paul Blaker

Professional statement

Dr Paul Blaker is a leading consultant gastroenterologist and general physician based in Tunbridge Wells who specialises in inflammatory bowel disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), dyspepsia, coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, bloating and endoscopy, including gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

His private practise is based at Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells Hospital and at The Wells Suite at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (MTW) NHS Trust. His NHS practice is based at MTW, where he is the Deputy Chief of the Medicine and Emergency Care Division and the lead for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Prior to this, Dr Blaker was the Clinical Director of Specialist Medicine (2019 - 2022) and the Medical Site Lead for Tunbridge Wells Hospital (2017-2019). He is also a JAG-approved endoscopy trainer at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Dr Blaker is highly qualified, obtaining a first-class BSc in 2000, an MBBS in 2003 and a PhD in Nutritional Science in 2014 from King’s College London. He completed his registrar training in London and the Southeast of England, and gained membership to the Royal College of Physicians in 2006. He later became a Fellow of the College in 2018. Moreover, Dr Blaker is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of the British Society of Gastroenterology.

Dr Blaker is well respected in gastrointestinal research, having spent three years as a research fellow at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He investigated biomarkers predicting toxicity and response to thiopurine treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, under the supervision of Prof Jeremy Sanderson, leading to the award of a PhD in 2014. Dr Blaker has also published in various peer-reviewed journals in his chosen field. His PhD experience, in particular, led to his sub-specialist interest in the management of inflammatory bowel disease. Dr Blaker continues to help transform IBD services across the Kent and Medway area and also authored the regional IBD pathway in West Kent.