Medico-Legal Committee

Sameer is a Consultant at Bedfordshire Hospital 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 Medico-legal work since 2008, and has delivered training to solicitors. 

Sebastian Dawson-Bowling is a hip and knee surgeon at Barts Health in London, specialising in complex primary and revision arthroplasty. He also undertakes arthroscopy to both joints, and works within the Royal London Hospital major trauma service. Sebastian is a BJ360 Editorial Board member, sits on the NJR Regional Clinical Coordinator and Editorial Committees, and is an FRCS(Tr&Orth) examiner.

Outside clinical practice, his passion within orthopaedics has always been training/mentoring future generations. Whilst BOTA President, Sebastian strongly encouraged medical student attendance and participation at orthopaedic educational events. He subsequently cofounded London Undergraduate Orthopaedic Society, and contributed to establishing BOMSA.

Away from work, Sebastian’s loves in life are his family (wife Emma, a psychiatrist, and children Elspeth and Daniel), opera, food and wine. He is also a qualified rowing umpire.

Sebastian is honoured to be elected to BOA Council and the Medico-legal Committee. The BOA now has perhaps more influence than at any previous time, which he feels we can use to powerful effect, ensuring the right training and working conditions for members at all career stages – from those caring for young families, or sitting exams (or both!); to consultants fighting to defend standards of care for their patients against increasing management interference; or seeking to undertake leadership or educational roles.

He looks forward to contributing to the Association’s excellent work to guide, support and safeguard trainees; it has been with this foremost in mind that he stood. In doing this, the BOA will continue simultaneously to ensure highest possible standards of patient care for generations to come.

Turab Syed is a Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon & Expert Witness based in Scotland & England, currently practicing at Forth Valley Royal NHS Hospital. He maintains additional private and medico-legal practices across Stirling (Circle Kings Park Hospital), Glasgow (Lanarkshire Private Clinic), Manchester (The Hale Private Clinic), Milton Keynes (Alternatives Clinic), and London.

A specialist in lower limb arthroplasty and foot and ankle surgery, Turab has a particular interest in diabetic foot reconstruction and sports medicine. His expertise is underpinned by fellowship training in Strasbourg, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, alongside a Master’s degree in Sports & Exercise Medicine. He has served as a team doctor for high-profile sports organisations, including England Football Team C, the UEFA Regions Cup teams (England XI), and English Cross Country Athletics (ECCA).

Turab is a highly regarded Medico-legal Expert Witness. He holds both CUBS (Cardiff University Bond Solon) and AUBS (Aberdeen University Bond Solon) Expert Witness Certificates and is an Accredited Member of the Academy of Experts (UK), where he also serves on the Council. Additionally, he acts as Treasurer for the Scottish Medicolegal Society. He prepares reports in personal injury and negligence claims for both Claimants and Defendants within the Scottish and English jurisdictions, as well as the Royal Courts of Jersey.

Academically, he holds roles as a Senior Clinical Lecturer at Glasgow Medical School and an Academic Tutor/Examiner for the ChM (Trauma & Orthopaedics) at the University of Edinburgh. A former Consultant at the Royal Free London and lecturer at UCL Medical School, he has served as Principal Investigator (PI) on two Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and as a co-investigator on the FAME trial. He is a founding member of the UK Diabetic Foot Surgeons Forum and has delivered over 90 international presentations at prestigious forums such as SICOT, the Royal Society of Medicine, and Imperial College London.

Mr Gary Mundy  has been a Consultant Lower Limb surgeon in Northampton since 2010, with a practice in hip and knee surgery. He completed his medical training  in  Manchester in 1996. He acquired specialist accreditation in Trauma and Orthopaedics in 2008, undertaking higher surgical training in Nottingham.  Further subspecialist fellowship training was undertaken at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, London.

Patrick Laing is a Consultant Orthopaedic foot & ankle Surgeon. He trained in London, Australia and Liverpool before taking up a Consultant post at the Wrexham Maelor and the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital in Oswestry in 1994. He is a Past President of the British Orthopaedic foot & ankle Society and past Council Member and Membership Secretary of the European foot & ankle Society. He is retired from NHS  practice but still involved in clinical research, complex clinics & teaching. He has done Clinical negligence reporting for Claimant and Defendant solicitors for 30 years. Many cases follow a repetitive pattern and he believes a lot of medical negligence could be avoided with more widespread learning from mistakes which are sadly repeated too often.  

Otto von Arx is a spinal surgeon in Bath. He is an established medico-legal expert specialising in personal injury and negligence instructions both for claimants and defendants. He advises the GMC on  fitness to practice instructions.

Bertie Leigh used to be Senior Partner at Hempsons.  He has a very extensive experience in medical negligence and in the law related to professional regulation. He has held 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 a non executive director of the RNOH at Stanmore. He is an Honourary Fellow of three Royal Colleges. He is closely interested in the issues that orthopaedic surgeons face on a day to day basis.

He is particularly interested in issues related to medical ethics, consent and training.

Meg Baker is the current BOTA President (2026-2027).