Orthopaedic Committee

After graduating from medical school in Germany Miss Sott subsequently completed 10 years of basic and higher Surgical Orthopaedic Training in London. In 2004 Miss Sott joined Epsom & St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust/ London  as a full time Consultant Surgeon for Trauma & Orthopaedics and Foot & Ankle Surgery. She maintains a GMC portfolio as an active and enthusiastic Trainer for Surgeons and Allied Professionals. She is Senior Examiner for the JCIE, previous Surgical Tutor and current AAC panel member for the Royal College of Surgeons. She has published many papers in her field and outcomes of her Foot and Ankle work has been presented at BOA/ BOFAS as well as EFORT Meetings. She is host to a successful BOA FLP/ BOFAS post CCT fellowship since 2015. Over the past 7 years Miss Sott has developed her senior clinical leadership skills with formal and informal training/coaching. Previously Clinical Director for T&O she now is Medical Director for Planned Care (Surgery/Anaesthetics/Critical Care/Endoscopy as well as Surgical Director of the Elective Orthopaedic Centre Epsom. Miss Sott is married with 3 children and in any spare time she enjoys running, paddleboarding and playing the piano.

Alex was appointed as a specialist knee and hip Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon in January 2015. He currently has a busy, high volume practice consisting of soft tissue knee surgery and joint replacement including revision surgery in his elective practice. Trauma practice is focused around the knee.

Alex was a MD(Res) from Imperial College, London for his work on the anatomy and biomechanics of the knee focusing on the anatomy and biomechanics of the anterolateral structures of the knee.

Alex is currently the Honorary Secretary of the British Association for Surgery of the Knee.

Speaker, ‘Knee Frailty Trauma’ – BASK Revalidation Session

Trained at the Royal Free and the RNOH, Andrew headed to the East Midlands and to Nottingham in 1999. Part of a busy trauma group for many years, his practice is now based around hip surgery. His clinical interest started in London and developed during a year in Boston, at MGH. Away from his hips, the scope of his unit has allowed Andrew a continued understanding of the issues that excite and confront other areas of orthopaedic practice.

His clinical work provides research opportunities and forms the basis of his educational activities. Andrew has travelled widely to lecture and demonstrate his practice, and he set up the Nottingham Revision Course in 2007. His recent work with the Revision Surgery Network, which provides a weekly framework for surgeons from different hospitals to meet ‘virtually’ to discuss complex cases, has received attention nationally and internationally.

Andrew has been on the Executive of the British Hip Society for a number of years and became President in March 2018. His year gave him a better appreciation of the challenges of today’s health economic environment. He saw how the BOA facilitates discussion and provides a cohesive response to support what good
orthopaedics achieves for our patients.

Married to Claire, a GP and with four beautiful and tolerant daughters aged between 21 and 14, Andrew has little time to spare away from my work. When quiet he enjoys travelling, music, gardening, (watching) sport and planning future revisions.

Andrew is passionate about orthopaedics and looks forward to a further opportunity to contribute to our speciality.

Jehan Zaib embarked on his medical journey and Orthopedic foundational training in Pakistan before seeking to elevate his expertise in Orthopedics within the UK. Presently serving as a Specialty Doctor in the West Midlands. He eagerly anticipates commencing Arthroplasty fellowships next year, aligning with his interest in this specialized field. Passionate about teaching, patient safety, audits, and research, Jehan tries to implement local and national guidelines, pathways, and principles to enhance patient care and safety. Embracing experiences across multiple countries and hospitals, he advocates for standardization while valuing the diverse financial and cultural aspects that influence healthcare provision.

Jehan actively tries guides and supports International Medical Graduates (IMGs) pursuing pathways to NTN or Portfolio entry. Balancing this professional commitment is his role as a devoted father to three children aged between 7-12, a journey supported wholeheartedly by his wife. His interests span running, reading, teaching, and indulging in family hikes.

I qualified from Nottingham University Medical School in 1988, completed my orthopaedic training in Manchester and Toronto and have been a consultant in Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery in Manchester since 2001. 

After an early and many subsequent visits to Dr. Ponseti’s unit in Iowa, I developed a busy practice for patients with clubfoot and complex foot deformities.  This practice has developed into one that is nationally recognised as a tertiary referral centre for complex foot problems and we now have a team of three consultants with highly specialised physiotherapy, nursing and orthotic support.  I have been involved in training internationally for many years, more recently with the Global Clubfoot Initiative. I have been part of the team developing the BSCOS consensus statement on clubfoot management and continue to be involved in research and network building.

Since its inception in 2012, I have led the North West Children’s Major Trauma Network and the service at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. On the night of the Manchester Arena Attack I worked in the role of Surgeon Commander at RMCH and in the weeks and months that followed, to support rehabilitation of the victims. I am part of the team still sharing the lessons we learnt that night to inform planning across the sectors.  I also lead on many of the developments in children’s rehabilitation in Manchester and beyond as legacy work from the Arena Attack. 

The Greater Manchester Children’s Rehabilitation project has been recognised for its initiative in supporting children back into school and activity after injury.  NIHR funded research has guided this service and the development of the School Fit Note, now widely used around the country.

I am extremely proud to be part of our diverse, supportive and friendly team at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.  At a time when Orthopaedics is endeavouring to achieve a better balanced workforce to benefit our patients, I hope we can act as an example. 

Leela Biant is Academic Head of Dept Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery at University of Manchester and Honorary Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Manchester University Hospitals. She is lead Clinician for Cartilage Repair and Regeneration and the incoming President of BASK.

Leela  trained in London and completed specialist fellowships in Sydney and London. She was Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon in Edinburgh for 8 years before moving to Manchester. Her thesis was entitled ‘Articular Cartilage Injury and Repair in the Young Adult Knee’ and her research focus includes biological regenerative surgery and advanced joint replacement. She has won multiple awards for research, and now leads a strong research team that includes academic clinicians, biomedical engineers, materials scientists and cell biologists.

Leela is an elected ICRS Senior Fellow, and founded the ICRS Global patient registry. She is a Lifetime Honorary Fellow of the UK Biological Knee Society in recognition of her work in this field. She has won awards for teaching, and is a clinician advisor to NICE. She was an ABC Travelling Fellow in 2010 and BASK Travelling Fellow in 2014.

Her lecture "Regenerating Damaged Joints; from bench to bedside to theatre and round again" will be a celebration of progress, an acknowledgement of the joy and vexations of orthopaedic research  and an appreciation of what we don't yet know for sure.

Omer Salar is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the University Hospitals Birmingham. His practice encompasses a broad spectrum of arthroplasty and revision arthroplasty around both the hip and knee as well as providing skills in fragility fracture surgery. He trained in the West Midlands with fellowships in Exeter, Birmingham and Sheffield before taking up his consultant appointment in February 2023.

Omer was inspired to apply for a position on the orthopaedic committee by recognising the importance of now more than ever the need for surgeons and allied professionals to stand up and speak out for our patients and the future generations of surgeons and doctors looking after our patients. The BOA is central to this process and has been central to his development having benefitted from both the BOA travelling fellowship and also the BOA Future leaders programme as well as other educational and instructional resources during his pre-consultant years. 

Omer is excited to be joining the Orthopaedic Committee and hopes to represent his colleagues nationally in driving forward elective standards for the betterment of our patients and our profession.

Anil Gambhir is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Wrightington Hospital, where he specialises in adult hip and knee reconstruction. Working at one of the UK’s leading centres for joint replacement, Anil is passionate about providing high-quality, patient-centred care and helping people return to active, independent lives.

His work covers all aspects of hip and knee surgery – from primary and revision joint replacements to complex reconstructions and minimally invasive techniques. Anil has a particular interest in improving patient outcomes and developing innovative approaches to surgery, recovery, and rehabilitation.

Research and education play a big part in his professional life. He has contributed to numerous studies and national projects focused on improving the safety and effectiveness of joint replacement surgery. As a dedicated teacher and mentor, Anil enjoys supporting trainees and colleagues through national training programmes and specialist hip and knee courses.

Anil has also been closely involved in professional leadership.

He has served as both President and Treasurer of the British Hip Society, helping to shape national policy, promote collaboration, and drive continuous improvement within the field.

Outside of medicine, Anil enjoys spending time with his family and travelling. He is a keen sports fan and values the balance that family life and outdoor activity bring to his busy professional career.

Now joining the BOA as a Trustee, Anil brings a wealth of clinical expertise, research experience, and leadership insight – along with a genuine commitment to advancing orthopaedic care for patients across the UK.

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.