Michael Fassas DVM PGCertSAS MRCVS
Michael qualified in 1999 from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and completed an internship in small animal surgery and anaesthesia at the same university in 2002. He moved to the UK in 2003 and after working as a small animal vet for two other practices in Sussex and Surrey, he joined Wingrave in August 2008.
Since 2011 Michael has been the Clinical Director of our Sutton surgery. He strives and encourages everyone within the team to provide their best care and service to every client and their pets at all times.
Michael finds being a vet tremendously rewarding and enjoys all the challenges that each patient presents with. He really enjoys all aspects of veterinary work but has a clear preference in surgery. Over the years Michael has gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all aspects of surgery; soft tissue and orthopaedics, radiography, analgesia and rehabilitation following musculoskeletal disorders. He has recently completed a Certificate in Small Animal Surgery with BSAVA (The British Small Animal Veterinary Association).
Michael is very proud of the new operating theatres, equipment and other facilities since the completion of the extensive building works in 2014 and both him and his team are very happy to put them in good use for the benefit of our patients.
He does hope, one day to have a dog again!
Liz Stenson MA VetMB CertSAM MRCVS
Liz qualified in 2003 from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining the team at the Sutton surgery in August 2014 she worked in a busy 20 vet practice in her hometown of Birmingham for 11 years where she gained a vast amount of experience.
Liz gained the RCVS certificate in Small Animal Medicine in 2010 and is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine. While she enjoys all aspects of general practice work her passions are feline and canine medicine, diagnostic imaging and cardiology. She has a particular interest and is an expert in treating a wide range of medical problems. Liz makes full use of the state of the art diagnostic facilities at the Sutton surgery undertaking most of the more complex ultrasonography, echocardiography and endoscopy work for the practice.
Unable to imagine life without a feline friend Liz has made the trip south with her rescue cat Phoebe who has settled in well to London life.
Daniela Fiore BVSc MRCVS
Daniela qualified from the University of Liverpool in 2003. Daniela worked for the next 12 years in a number of small animal practices initially in South London and then Surrey and Kent before joining the team at Wingrave in October 2015.
She enjoys all aspects of her veterinary work with cats, dogs and other small pets, and has a particular interest in dentistry and dental x-rays as well as feline medicine, especially for elderly cats. She feels a lot can be done to improve their wellbeing in their retirement years.
Daniela works at the Sutton surgery, she is currently studying towards her advanced diploma in feline behaviour management. She believe that having a stronger understanding of the way cats think can make a real difference in keeping our feline patients happy and healthy, both at the surgery and at home.
Daniela has an adopted elderly cat called Charlie.
Kornelia Laszloova MRCVS
Kornelia studied at the University of Veterinary Medicine & Pharmacy in Kosice, Slovakia. During this time she also spent a year studying at the Universidad de Cordoba, Spain. Kornelia qualified as a vet in May 2015.
After qualifying she spent six months working in a private veterinary practice in Kosice, Slovakia, her home town. Following this she undertook two externships; three months in a large 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital in California and the next three months in a very large veterinary referral centre in Mallorca, Spain where a lot of European specialists worked.
Kornelia started with us here at Sutton in January 2017. She is one of our ‘float’ vets, which means she covers her colleagues when they have days off, holidays and courses. Kornelia sees client & patient appointments, operates, helps care for the patients in ward, and after procedures and also those pets that live on medication. She enjoys being a part of our team and helping everyone.
Whilst she loves all aspects of her work, she has a particular interest in surgery, imaging, scanning and oncology. Although alongside this she finds the treatment of medicine cases very interesting.
Kornelia doesn’t have any of her own pets, but likes to consider that all the pets she sees and treats ‘as hers’ for the time she is looking after them.
Sophie Cornelissen MRCVS
Sophie graduated from The University of Nottingham in July 2017.
Immediately after qualifying she joined the team here in August and like Kornelia she is also one of our ‘float’ vets, which results in her covering her colleagues appointment schedules and operations and procedures when they have days off, holidays and courses.
Sophie really enjoys all the aspects of her work; consulting, operating, treating some pets with medicine, etc. She likes meeting all our clients and their pets plus also helping care for the patients who are staying with us in ward. Her particular interest is in surgery and she hopes to develop further surgical knowledge and experience with time.
Her family have three dogs, although Sophie is looking for her own dog; a wirehaired dachshund!
Francesco Vinaccia DVM MRCVS
In 2000 Francesco qualified from the University of Naples following which he worked for two years in a Referral Centre in Italy and then one year in a Referral Centre in France, both specialised in surgery.
He moved to the UK in 2003 and after working for ten years in senior veterinary roles for two other small animal practices Francesco joined Wingrave in August 2013 to work at and manage our Chipstead surgery.
Francesco is currently studying for the RCVS CertAVP in Small Animal Surgery. Like Michael, Francesco also enjoys all forms of surgery and has a particular interest in both orthopaedic and soft tissue. Francesco is always keen to continue to learn about new orthopaedic techniques and to use his expertise to provide the highest level of care for our patients. He enjoys showing clients the x-ray images and photographs he has taken, which he saves on patient’s records.
It is amazing to see how many of our dogs love to see him!
Ejaz Hameed DVM, MSc, MBA, MRCVS
Ejaz qualified in 1998 from the University of Agriculture in Pakistan, he then undertook a Masters in Veterinary Microbiology. In order for his qualifications to be recognised in the UK Ejaz undertook five years practice experience in this country following which he was awarded Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2011. He continued to work for the next two years as a locum vet until he joined Wingrave in December 2013 to work at and manage both our Epsom and Horton surgeries.
Ejaz is passionate about providing both excellent client and patient care and is very proud of all that the practice has to offer.
He has a particular interest in diagnostic procedures including digital x-ray, ultrasonography, microbiology, haematology and laboratory tests.
He now looks after Smokey, a stray cat someone had brought into the surgery.
Ilka Orsinger Dr med vet MRCVS
Ilka qualified in 2002 from the University of Berlin, Germany, following this she completed a postgraduate degree (Dr. med. vet) on repeated anaesthesia in dogs. Alongside this she worked in an exotic specialist practice seeing plenty of small furries and some rather unusual pets from bats and spiders to snakes and chameleons; she has kept a special interest in small furries, like rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters ever since.
After spending two years in a busy small animal practice in Berlin, where she enjoyed a more dog and cat based workload, Ilka moved to the UK in 2006 and joined a small animal practice in Middlesex where she had the opportunity to improve her surgical and diagnostic skills as well as being challenged by plenty of emergency cases.
Following a career break Ilka joined Wingrave in 2011, she has since worked in all our branch surgeries and is now mainly based at our Horton and Epsom surgeries.
Ilka loves the varied nature of her role as a vet where every day is different, she is passionate about her patients and enjoys providing excellent veterinary care. She continues to follow her interest in internal medicine and improve her ultrasound skills in particular.
Mark Craig BVSc Cert SAD MRCVS
Mark qualified as a vet from the University of Liverpool in 1985. After five years in general veterinary practice, he recognised his real interest was the area of skin diseases and allergies. He then studied dermatology at the Royal Veterinary College in London and passed the RCVS Certificate in in Small Animal Dermatology in 1993.
Since then Mark has built up Re-Fur-All Referrals, a veterinary dermatology referral service in the South of England and the Midlands.
Mark’s dermatology referral service visits the Wingrave practice at least once a month with interim appointments being available if needed. This is a second-opinion referral service only as all animals must be referred to him by one of our other vets.
Please ask any of our vets if you would like an appointment to see Mark.
Boots, his black & white cat, decided to move in with him and leave his owners who live next door!