Craniofacial

(Page last updated: September 2025)

Roles for Leads and Deputy Leads of SSIGs (updated 1 May 2025)

Co-Leads: Mr Aitor de Gea Rico & Mr Ahad Shafi (Aug 2025 - July 2028)

Deputy Lead: Stephen Brandsma (Aug 2025 - July 2028)  

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Craniofacial surgery units in the UK

There are four Highly Specialised Craniofacial Units designated to provide specialist services for children and adults born with craniofacial problems in England, and one in Scotland.

Referrals by GPs are accepted at Alder Hey (Liverpool), Birmingham and Oxford Children’s Hospitals.  Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London requires GPs use the GOSH online GP referral system. The Units will also take referrals from paediatricians or other hospital consultants.

The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow will normally only accept referrals from paediatricians/hospital consultants, although direct referrals from GPs may be accepted in certain circumstances.

The scope of the craniofacial service in England:

The craniofacial surgery service is designated to treat all patients with congenital craniofacial conditions as defined in EL(98)1 when they are:

• Complex
• Involve the base of the skull and
• Treatment will require, at an appropriate stage, combined craniofacial procedure as described above.

The service covers referral for assessment of all patients suspected of having one of the following diagnoses, and the treatment and associated follow up of all those in whom the condition is confirmed.

Sagittal scaphocephaly	Acrocephalo-syndactyly syndromes
Craniosynostosis craniofacial dysostosis	Saethre-Chotzen
Sagittal scaphocephaly	Pfeiffer, Carpenter
Craniosynostosis craniofacial dysostosis	Crouzon’s Syndrome
Unilateral coronal plagiocephaly	Craniofacial dystosis
Bilateral coronal brachycephaly	Horizontal and Vertical
Metopic tribgonocephaly	Orbital dystopia
Lambdoid synostosis	Encephalocele
Apert’s

Please note that 

(1) the scope of the Glasgow Craniofacial Surgery Unit and Alder Hey Children's Hospital includes the management of a range of subcranial syndromic (for example- CFM, TCS & etc) and

(2) that the scope of the Glasgow Craniofacial Surgery Unit includes nonsyndromic facial anomalies (Ankylosis).

Useful links:

UK: The Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland 

Europe: European Society of Craniofacial Surgery

International: International Society of Craniofacial Surgery