Medico-Legal Committee

Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals since 2002, having completed surgical training in Bath and Bristol and following fellowship training in the Ilizarov method at the Ilizarov Scientific Centre in Kurgan, Russia.

My clinical practice includes the treatment of severe lower limb fractures and post-traumatic limb reconstruction including non-union, mal-union and deformity, limb length inequality, bone loss and amputation.

Current President Elect of the British Limb Reconstruction Society and Chair of the British Orthopaedic Association Medico-legal Committee.

In 2018 I was awarded the taught degree of Master of Laws with Distinction in medical law and ethics by De Montfort University Leicester.

My other interests include Nottingham Forest FC, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Football Club, modern languages, old Gothic Hammer Horror films, Formula One motorsport and the castles of Northumberland.

Fares Haddad is a Hip and Knee Reconstructive Orthopaedic and Sports Surgeon at University College Hospitals, Divisional Clinical Director of Surgical Specialties at UCH, and Director of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College London. Fares graduated from the University College London Hospitals with a First Class BSc and MB BS. He was the gold medallist in the FRCS (Orth) exam and he has gained a large number of prizes and prestigious academic awards. Fares has been an EFORT Travelling Fellow, British Hip Society Travelling Fellow and ABC Travelling Fellow in 2004. He was a Hunterian Professor in 2005 and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bone and Joint Journal.

Professor Haddad's clinical and research endeavours have centred on hip and knee reconstruction. He has presented and published widely on key aspects of hip, knee and sports surgery and continues to lead a clinical research group with interests in hip and knee joint preservation after injury, prosthetic design and performance and outcomes measurement after hip / knee surgery and sports injuries. He was the musculoskeletal lead at the 2012 London Olympics and run the IOC research centre at ISEH. Fares is Chief Medical Officer for the NFL in the UK.

Caroline is a professor of orthopaedics at St George’s Hospital in London. She trained on the Percival Pott rotation before fellowships in trauma and knee surgery in Australia. She has an academic interest in knee surgery and trauma, having completed a BSc, MSc and MD. She currently leads research in her department and has built up participation in trauma trials within the department. She has committee positions with the NIHR, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, British Orthopaedic Association and the British Association of Surgery of the Knee. She is a founding member of the International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance and has hosted webinars on diversity to increase support for change.

Caroline has previously helped to develop the BOA’s diversity strategy and ran for council hoping to continue to support the BOA in diversity initiatives, education and research. She is keen to support encouraging medical students to consider a career in trauma and orthopaedics by highlighting the varied career trajectories that are possible and the contribution that SAS doctors, AHPs and surgeons all make to patient care.

In her free time she likes to stay active by rock climbing, swimming, cycling, skiing, freediving and travelling. She is happiest outside in the sea or amongst the mountains, ideally somewhere hot and sunny.

Mr Shyam Kumar is a Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon based at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. He has completed an LLM in Medical Law & Ethics with Merit. His other roles include -Member of Medicolegal committee of British Orthopaedic Association, Clinical Assessor-PPA (Formerly NCAS) and Member of Appointments Advisory Committee, Royal College of Surgeons of England. His name has been nominated recently to the Lord Chancellor be a member on the Cumbria & Lancashire Magistrates’ Recruitment Advisory Committee.

Sameer is a Consultant at Bedfordshire Hopsital NHS trust since 2009. He completed fellowships in New Zealand, Australia and Liverpool. His clinical practice covers all aspects of trauma and there is a specialist interest in upper limb disorders. Sameer is a member of the Expert Witness and institute, and committee member for the BMA Private Practicing Committee. 

He has been involved in Medicolegal work since 2008, and has delivered training to solicitors. 

Steve Hepple Graduated from Sheffield Medical school in 1991. He undertook basic surgical training in Sheffield before moving to Bristol for his registrar rotation. After fellowships in Brisbane and Dallas he was appointed as Consultant to North Bristol NHS Trust in 2002. Over the last 15years his elective practice has been exclusively foot and ankle although he continues to be an active member of the trauma team at the Severn Major Trauma Centre based at Southmead Hospital, Bristol. Throughout his career he has had a keen interest in training and has lectured at many national and international meetings. In 2009 he joined the education committee of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle society subsequently taking up the post of Treasurer for 6 years before serving as President in 2018. He has held the posts of specialty director and clinical director within the orthopaedic unit in North Bristol. He has undertaken medicolegal work since 1999 initially general personal injury reports but more recently specialising in complex foot and ankle injuries and negligence cases. He undertakes more than 200 report per year.

Speaker, Getting Started in Medico-Legal Practice

Bertie Leigh is a consultant solicitor at Hempsons.  He has a very extensive experience in medical negligence and in the law related to professional regulation. He has been described as the top dog in defence medical negligence. He has had numerous senior rolls in the legal world, but also has had a close relationship with surgery and orthopaedics. He was the chairman of NCEPOD for 6 years and is a non executive director of the RNOH at Stanmore. There are few, if any other, lawyers, who understand the issues that orthopaedic surgeons face on a day to day basis any better.

He is particularly interested in issues related to consent and the effects that Covid 19 has on what we need to think about and discuss with our patients.

Speaker, Medco and the RTA Small Claims Protocol; plus Delays in a time of Covid