Nader Francis, MBChB, FRCS, PhD is lead colorectal surgeon at Yeovil District Hospital, where fast track colorectal surgery was first introduced within the UK. He holds a PhD in laparoscopic surgery skills which he studied for under Sir Alfred Cuschieri. Robin Kennedy, FRCS is a consultant surgeon at St. Mark’s Hospital, a national and international referral centre for intestinal and colorectal disorders. Here, he teaches and co-ordinates research on laparoscopic colorectal surgery and Enhanced Recovery Care. He spent 14 years between 1992 and 2006 at Yeovil District Hospital, where his research and clinical interests increasingly focused on how the application of laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques could improve outcomes of gastrointestinal disease. This coupled with the use of Enhanced Recovery Programmes has resulted in various publications and receipt of the Health and Social Care Award ‘Hospital Doctor of the Year’ in 2004.