Our History

Providing the very best service in gastroenterology to the residents and visitors of the Gold Coast and south-east Queensland since 2001

History of Gold Coast Centre for Digestive Diseases

GCCDD provides the very best service in gastroenterology to the residents and visitors of the Gold Coast and south-east Queensland. We work very closely with General Practitioners to optimise the care of those requiring advice and treatment for digestive diseases and liver related conditions. These include referrals accepted for general gastrointestinal diseases, liver disease including chronic viral hepatitis and upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy.

Our experienced gastroenterologists – Dr Lloyd Dorrington, Dr Alex Dorrington, Dr George Ostapowicz and Dr Kashif Sheikh – have between them over 60 years experience in this specialty. Our experienced team will guide you through your patient experience with individual attention, clear communication, compassion, and exceptional skill.

The Liver Centre

2001

The Liver Centre was a not for profit centre set up in October 2001 by gastroenterologists, Dr Lloyd Dorrington and Dr David Robinson to provide information and support to health professionals and the general public on a range of liver diseases. These diseases included Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Haemochromatosis, Fatty liver and Alcohol related liver disease.

Dr Lloyd Dorrington, who trained in Brisbane, Sydney and London, is well-known and respected on the Gold Coast, in particular in the past for his expertise and management of in Hepatitis C. He established the Liver Clinic at Gold Coast Hospital (Gold Coast University Hospital) and for many years was involved in research trials using Interferon therapy and later Combination therapy (Interferon and Ribavirin) for treatment of people with Hepatitis C. Dr Dorrington also has had a long involvement as a guest speaker at the local Hepatitis C Support group as well as being a regular presenter at Hepatitis C education seminars for GP’s and other health professionals on the Gold Coast. With the advent in recent years of new treatment modalities that eradicate Hepatitis C, the Liver Centre no longer functions as a discrete entity, although the practice continues to treat all types of liver diseases.

Gold Coast Centre for Digestive Diseases

2002

Gold Coast Centre for Digestive Diseases (GCCDD) on the Gold Coast was established in 2002. The gastroenterologists involved had been working individually from Brockway House since the mid 1980’s and saw fit to unite under a single banner.

Dr George Ostapowicz

2015

Dr George Ostapowicz joined the GCCDD and the Liver Centre in September 2015 on the retirement of Dr David Robinson. Dr Ostapowicz trained in Newcastle, Melbourne and Dallas, Texas USA. He moved to the Gold Coast in 2001. Dr. Ostapowicz has over 20 years experience in treating patients with all aspects of liver disease. His medical interest and expertise covers the breadth of hepatology including Hepatitis B and C. Dr. Ostapowicz has significant research experience in hepatology, has published articles and presented at national and international conferences. George has been involved in the teaching of undergraduate medical students at both Griffith and Bond Universities, as well as postgraduate training of registrars in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is an Honorary Adjunct Associate Professor at Bond University, School of Medicine.

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Dr Kashif Sheikh

2019

Dr Kashif Sheikh joined the team at the Gold Coast Centre for Digestive Diseases in October 2017. Dr Sheikh has had specialist gastroenterology training in England from 2004 -2010 and worked at various hospitals including fellowships at University College London and Royal Free Liver Transplant Unit in London. Dr Kashif has worked as a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sir James Paget University Hospital (England) for few years before moving to Australia in 2014. His clinical interests are liver disease, Endoscopy and has presented work at various international gastroenterology meetings. He is a senior staff specialist at the Gold Coast University Hospital where he trains students and medical trainees in gastroenterology.

Dr Alex Dorrington

2020

Dr Alex Dorrington joined GCCDD in March 2020. Alex is a University of Queensland graduate. He has had several years of rigorous advanced training in gastroenterology. He has spent a year each in Cairns and at Gold Coast University Hospital and spent a year at Concord Hospital in Sydney with Dr Rupert Leong, who is the lead in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). During 2019, Alex completed an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Fellowship at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, UK.

Alex has a halftime appointment at Gold Coast University Hospital where he is predominantly involved in the IBD service and endoscopy. The balance of his time is in private practice on the Northern Gold Coast, at the Gold Coast Centre for Digestive Diseases.