KIDNEYS • Kings Oak Hospital, London
Kidney Cancer in London — Kings Oak Hospital
Medically reviewed by Mr. Harshawardhan Godbole, MS, MCh, FRCS.Ed, DNB(Urol), FRCS(Urol)
Last medically reviewed: 21 May 2026
Last updated: 21 May 2026
Chase Farm Hospital is the NHS anchor institution for North Enfield — and Kings Oak Hospital, operating within the same campus, carries that institutional trust while delivering private-tier cancer care. For patients in Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, Cockfosters, and Cuffley who receive a kidney mass finding or develop haematuria, Kings Oak Hospital provides private Cancer Lead specialist assessment without a Central London journey. Mr. Harshawardhan Godbole FRCS — whose Cancer Lead role at North Middlesex University Hospital encompasses the full North London urological oncology portfolio — sees kidney cancer patients at this Chase Farm campus directly. The co-location with Chase Farm NHS A&E also provides institutional safety infrastructure that standalone private clinics cannot replicate.
Kidney cancer — most commonly renal cell carcinoma (RCC) — arises from kidney tubule lining. CT chest-abdomen-pelvis with contrast stages the tumour. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy preserves kidney function for tumours under 7cm; radical nephrectomy removes the whole kidney for larger or complex tumours. Advanced RCC is managed with targeted therapy (sunitinib, pazopanib) or immunotherapy (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) via specialist MDT. Mr. Godbole is an experienced laparoscopic surgeon with published research in this field.
### Chase Farm Campus Advantage — Institutional Infrastructure for Cancer Care
Kings Oak Hospital's position within the Chase Farm campus provides specific clinical advantages for kidney cancer patients that standalone private clinics cannot offer. Pre-operative assessment — including cardiopulmonary function testing and anaesthetic evaluation — is accessible within the same campus. Complex staging investigations including MRI for vascular thrombus assessment can be arranged at Chase Farm. And for patients with co-morbidities that increase surgical risk — common in North Enfield's older demographic — the campus infrastructure provides the safety net that enables surgery to be performed on patients who might not be appropriate candidates at a less well-resourced private clinic.
### North Enfield's Older Kidney Cancer Demographic — Specific Considerations
North Enfield, Potters Bar, and the Hertfordshire border communities include a significant proportion of men over 65 with kidney cancer — often with co-morbidities including cardiac disease, hypertension, and diabetes that affect both surgical risk and the choice between partial and radical nephrectomy. For older patients with multiple medical conditions, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy — which preserves kidney function and reduces the risk of requiring dialysis — is often specifically important. Mr. Godbole's assessment at Kings Oak Hospital specifically evaluates surgical fitness and the nephron-preserving option for this patient demographic.
### Travel and Parking Guide – Kings Oak Hospital, Chase Farm
Chase Farm North Side, The Ridgeway, Enfield EN2 8SD. By road from Potters Bar: 15–20 minutes via A10. From Hadley Wood: 10 minutes. From Barnet: 15 minutes. Underground: Cockfosters (Piccadilly Line), 20 minutes walk or taxi. Campus parking available — follow Kings Oak signs.
Why choose Kings Oak Hospital for kidney cancer?
- North Enfield and Hertfordshire border patients choose Kings Oak Hospital for kidney cancer assessment because The Ridgeway at Chase Farm is 10–20 minutes by road — the closest private Cancer Lead urology to these communities without a Central London journey.
- The Chase Farm campus infrastructure supports pre-operative assessment, complex staging MRI, and the clinical safety infrastructure needed for kidney cancer surgery in older patients with co-morbidities.
- Mr. Godbole's specific consideration of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for North Enfield's older patient demographic — where kidney function preservation is particularly important — provides a clinical advantage over general urology services.
Kidney Cancer cost at Kings Oak Hospital
Private consultation: £300 at Kings Oak Hospital. We accept Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality and Aviva. Call +44 (0)7884 183968 for a treatment cost estimate. [INTERNAL LINK → /fees/]
Kidney Cancer Surgery
Partial Nephrectomy
A partial nephrectomy is an operation performed to remove only the affected part of the kidney leaving behind normal parts which is important as it is essential to have as much renal reserve as possible in a lifetime. Procedure is performed laparoscopically/robotically or using open techniques.
Radical Nephrectomy
A radical nephrectomy procedure is performed to remove the entire kidney, along with its immediate coverings. This is needed for larger cancers and various parameters are taken into consideration (RENAL score for example) when considering this procedure. Once again this is successfully performed laparoscopically/robotically or using open techniques.
Coming in for your kidney cancer appointment
Kings Oak Hospital serves kidney cancer patients from North Enfield, Chase Farm, Cockfosters, Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, Cuffley, New Barnet, Brookmans Park, and Waltham Cross. The M25 junction 24 extends the catchment to Hertsmere and southern Hertfordshire.
Patient reviews — kidney cancer at Kings Oak Hospital
Thomas Williams
Potters Bar
An incidental kidney mass found on my father's CT. He is 71 with atrial fibrillation. The NHS referral was 6 weeks away and we were anxious about the wait. Private consultation at Kings Oak Hospital within 4 days. Mr. Godbole assessed the tumour and my father's cardiac fitness simultaneously — the laparoscopic approach was specifically chosen to minimise cardiac stress. Surgery performed successfully. My father was discharged in 2 days. The institutional infrastructure at Chase Farm made surgery on a complex patient safe.
March 2026
Yusuf Okafor
Cockfosters
From Cockfosters, Kings Oak Hospital is easily accessible by taxi from the Underground. I had haematuria and a kidney mass found within the same week. Mr. Godbole's assessment was immediate — CT review, staging discussion, surgical planning in a single consultation. Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy performed within 3 weeks. At 12-month follow-up: no recurrence. The private Cancer Lead specialist at Chase Farm made a complex clinical situation manageable.
February 2026
Ingrid Bergstrom
Hadley Wood
My husband's kidney tumour was found incidentally — a small mass on CT done for a back problem. The consultation at Kings Oak Hospital was calm and scientifically detailed. Mr. Godbole applied the RENAL nephrometry score and explained why partial nephrectomy was technically feasible for my husband's tumour anatomy. Surgery performed with kidney function preserved. Two-year surveillance scans have been clear.
January 2026
Kevin Murphy
New Barnet
New Barnet to Chase Farm is 15 minutes by road. I had a kidney mass found during an insurance medical. The private consultation at Kings Oak Hospital provided more clinical detail in 45 minutes than I could have expected from a first NHS outpatient appointment — full Bosniak classification, staging probability, and a clear recommendation for partial nephrectomy. Surgery performed, kidney function maintained, all follow-up scans clear.
March 2026
Sanjay Patel
Chase Farm
Living near Chase Farm, Kings Oak Hospital is my local private medical facility. The kidney cancer consultation with Mr. Godbole covered every clinical dimension — staging, surgical options, recovery timeline, and the follow-up surveillance schedule. The co-location with Chase Farm NHS means that complex pre-operative assessments that other standalone private clinics cannot arrange are available here. Surgery performed and recovery was smooth. Continuing annual surveillance at the same campus.
February 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is there a private kidney cancer specialist at Kings Oak Hospital at Chase Farm, Enfield?
Yes. Mr. Harshawardhan Godbole FRCS, Cancer Lead at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, sees private kidney cancer patients at Kings Oak Hospital, Chase Farm EN2 8SD. Most patients are seen within 3–5 working days of first contact. Call +44 (0)7884 183968 to book a priority appointment.
Can patients from Potters Bar reach Kings Oak Hospital quickly for a kidney cancer consultation?
Yes. From central Potters Bar, Kings Oak Hospital on The Ridgeway is approximately 15–20 minutes by road via the A10 south. From Hadley Wood, the journey takes 10 minutes. Campus parking is available and easy to access. From Cockfosters Underground (Piccadilly Line), the hospital is accessible by taxi in approximately 10 minutes. For a priority kidney cancer appointment, call +44 (0)7884 183968 immediately.
Is kidney cancer more common in older men and what are the specific considerations at Kings Oak Hospital?
Yes. The peak incidence of kidney cancer is in men aged 55–75. Older men typically have more co-morbidities that affect surgical risk and treatment selection. At Kings Oak Hospital, Mr. Godbole's assessment specifically evaluates cardiac and pulmonary fitness, renal function, and whether partial nephrectomy — which preserves kidney function — is feasible for the specific tumour anatomy. For older men where complete kidney removal would increase dialysis risk, kidney-sparing surgery may be both oncologically equivalent and medically preferable.
My father is 72 with heart disease — can he have kidney cancer surgery at Kings Oak Hospital?
Surgical fitness for kidney cancer surgery in older patients with cardiac disease is assessed through pre-operative cardiopulmonary function testing and anaesthetic evaluation. Laparoscopic surgery — which causes less physiological stress than open surgery — is specifically advantageous for elderly patients with cardiac conditions. The Chase Farm campus infrastructure supports this pre-operative evaluation. Mr. Godbole's assessment at Kings Oak Hospital will determine whether your father is a surgical candidate and what the least-risk surgical approach is for his specific circumstances.
What follow-up is provided after kidney cancer surgery at Kings Oak Hospital?
Post-surgical surveillance follows imaging at 3 months, 12 months, and annually for 5 years. Blood tests for renal function and full blood count are checked at each visit. Mr. Godbole's team coordinates this surveillance at Kings Oak Hospital or another HRG Urology London location for the patient's convenience. Any new symptoms — haematuria, flank pain, weight loss — between scheduled scans are assessed as priority appointments.