Our Team

Our team lives in Newcastle.  If our patients require personal attention following surgery, it’s good to know we’re close by.

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Dr Mark Gately

Dr Mark Gately is a locally trained bariatric (weight loss) surgeon who has worked in Newcastle and the Hunter Region since 2006.

Dr Gately completed his Surgical training in General surgery before heading overseas to further sub-specialise in bariatric and benign upper gastrointestinal surgery. Whilst overseas, Dr Gately was employed at Chelsea & Westminster NHS Hospital, an NHS centre of excellence for Bariatric surgery in Central London. Spending 2 years abroad, Dr Gately gained extensive experience in all forms of primary and revisional bariatric procedures including sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, as well as expertise in the surgical management of conditions such as reflux and achalasia.

Currently Dr Gately operates at Lingard Private Hospital, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital and also Maitland Private Hospital, offering bariatric surgery at all sites.

Dr Gately is very passionate about the delivery of high quality, holistic bariatric surgical care and his patients enjoy his approachable and thoughtful manner. He predominantly sees consultations at our Sea Change Weight Loss Clinic at Merewether, and also via this practice in East Maitland at the Maitland Private Hospital Consultation Suites, 175 Chisholm Road, East Maitland.

Dr Martin McLeod

Dr Martin McLeod grew up in Newcastle. He undertook training in general surgery locally and obtained his fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). Following this, he completed further sub-specialty training in bariatric (weight loss) surgery in Western Australia at one of Australia’s busiest bariatric surgical centres.

Dr McLeod believes in a holistic approach to the treatment of obesity as a chronic disease. This requires a multi-faceted approach to treatment involving dietitians, GPs, other specialists and surgeons.

To stay up to date with current trends in the field of bariatric and general surgery, Dr McLeod attends national and international conferences at least annually.

The weight loss procedures he performs are as follows:

• Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
• Laparoscopic gastric bypass
• Revisional weight loss surgery

Dr McLeod also performs general surgical procedures including hernia surgery, gall bladder surgery, melanoma surgery, gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

He has a public hospital appointment at the Calvary Mater Hospital and operates privately at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital, Lingard Private Hospital and Hunter Valley Private Hospital.

Breanna Elphick, Dietitian

Breanna (Bre) is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD), Accredited Nutritionist (AN) and a member of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA).

After completing a Bachelor of Nutrition & Dietetics (Hons) at The University of Newcastle NSW, Bre has worked across numerous areas as a clinical dietitian and has well-rounded experience and knowledge in many areas of dietetics. She has a particular interest and significant experience in managing patients post-bariatric surgery and currently works full-time in private practice.

Bre is a member of Australia and New Zealand Metabolic Obesity Surgery Society (ANZMOSS) and the West Australian Bariatric Dietitians Working Group (WABDWG), where she coordinates professional development sessions for fellow dietitians. Bre is also the convenor of the DAA National Bariatric Dietitians Interest group and regularly attends national and international conferences, scientific meetings and courses in dietetics, psychology, bariatrics and weight management.

Bre is passionate about helping our weight loss patients reach their health and wellness goals by providing practical and individualised advice and support.

Anna Turnock, Psychologist

Anna is a registered Psychologist and an Associate Member of the Australian Psychological Society. After completing her honours degree in 2001, Anna undertook an internship in Occupational Rehabilitation, with a focus on medico-legal assessments and reports, pain management, adjustment to change, vocational assessments and counselling. Following completion of her internship, Anna contracted to various local private practices.

Her work experience includes the provision of a diverse range of psychological services, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety and mood disorders, psychometric testing and report writing, Medicare services, training, relationship counselling, Employee Assistance Program services, executive coaching and performance management, career counselling and coaching, as well as trauma and critical incident management.

In 2006, Anna completed her Masters in Applied Science (Psychology of Coaching), furthering her knowledge of health coaching, positive psychology, motivational interviewing and solution-focused goal-orientated therapy. More recently, Anna has turned her focus to the specific psychological and behavioural challenges associated with bariatric surgery. Bariatric Psychology combines Anna’s interest areas of health coaching, psychology, nutrition and exercise. She values the Sea Change Clinic’s multidisciplinary team approach to weight loss treatment.

Anna has a warm, supportive and collaborative approach to therapy. She uses a variety of scientifically validated, evidence-based techniques to support positive outcomes for her clients. Her focus is on providing support for her clients in preparation for surgery and in reaching their weight loss goals.

Amy Gronow, Clinical Nurse Specialist – Bariatrics

Amy is a Nursing Graduate of the University of Western Sydney and has been a Registered Nurse since 2006. She has been a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) since 2011 and has held the Bariatric CNS Portfolio at three local hospitals since 2015, namely Lingard Private, Lakeview Private and Nepean Private. Amy’s areas of proficiency include bariatric, laparoscopic, endoscopic, general, gynaecological, urological and plastic surgeries.

Amy’s professional memberships include the Australia and New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society (ANZMOSS) and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

At Sea Change Weight Loss Clinic, Amy carries out pre- and post-operative assessments and checks with our patients, while maintaining an active involvement in the Bariatric Surgical Registry (BSR). Amy liaises with our multidisciplinary health care team to aid in providing individualised, holistic care to patients undergoing bariatric surgery with an empathetic, friendly and caring approach.

Other Experts

Our dedicated on-site team works together with local GPs and other specialists to provide a holistic approach to weight loss and ongoing management. This is the key to long-term success.