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“I’m the type of person who doesn’t give up on people,” says Ling Wong, a consultant colorectal surgeon specialising in intestinal failure surgery at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
His patients need a surgeon with this quality—many have had numerous failed surgeries and are “often feeling hopeless” by the time they come to see him for their first consultation. Such are the complexities of their conditions that it can take three to six months before surgery can take place, during which time Wong is not only involved in the preparations for treatment, including scans and parenteral nutrition, but also in getting to know them, listening to their fears, and building trust.
“I always say to patients that we will go through this journey together, and that together we can succeed,” he says.
The surgery he performs is complex and can often take at least eight hours. When the outcomes are successful it can transform lives. “It is hugely rewarding,” he says.
“Patients say, ‘You’ve changed my life completely. I thought there was no hope—now I can enjoy life again.’ Every patient gives me a reason why I do this difficult surgery.”
Growing up in Brunei during the 1960s, Wong would hear from his mother about the lives of patients she came across during her work as a domestic in the local hospital. Listening to these stories, he “thought how useful it would be if I could pursue a career as a doctor.”
In 1984, he began his studies at the University of Glasgow’s medical school. One of his teachers was the renowned physician Abraham Goldberg. “He took a personal interest in our education, showed us how to examine patients, and was one of the reasons I became interested in teaching,” Wong says.
He spent two years at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He was advised by his supervisor to consider a career in surgery as he was so good with his hands.
In the early 1990s, he moved to Leicester to do basic surgical training. “I fell in love with surgery and never looked back,” he says. “With surgery you get results. You change people’s lives so quickly—from having a condition to being almost fully cured in a few weeks.”
Wong then went on to do two years of research in immunology in colorectal cancer with general surgeon Ian Fraser, and in 1997 received the best paper award from the British Journal of Surgery.
During the latter part of his higher surgical training in the West Midlands he specialised in colorectal surgery, having become fascinated by the specialty while based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which has a centre for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
He qualified as a consultant surgeon in 2001 and worked in general surgery at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. Five years ago he took on his current role, when the trust was selected as a regional intestinal failure centre.
Wong looks to inspire and support others through his teaching and has a degree in medical education. “My guiding principle in training doctors is: ‘I will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle’.
“Trainees say I have lots of patience. You’ve got to give them that chance,” he says. “I also find teaching consolidates my own learning.”
As an honorary associate clinical professor at Warwick Medical School he was awarded the accolade for outstanding contribution to the education of medical students at the trust’s outstanding service and care awards in both 2014 and 2018.
Now he is aiming to train up a junior consultant so they can “pick up the baton” of intestinal failure surgery. “I’m not going to be here forever. I need to train up a surgeon willing and capable of doing this work,” he says.
Outside work, Wong enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and tending to his plants. “I’ll go to the garden centre and select the most broken plants and nurture them. I like the challenge. And in a few months, you can see the difference.” As with his patients and students, “I don’t give up on my plants.”
He believes there is “usually hope in every situation. And as doctors we need to instil that hope in patients—however small it is.”
Nominated by Khalid Hureibi
“At a critical juncture in my career, Ling Wong’s guidance, mentorship, and unwavering support played a pivotal role in shaping me into the surgeon I am today.
“He exemplifies what it means to be a conscientious surgeon—meticulous in his clinical practice, dedicated to patient care, and always striving for excellence.
“Beyond his technical skill, he is an outstanding educator and surgical trainer. His mentorship has profoundly impacted my career, shaping my approach to surgery, education, and professional development.”
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