Paul Banaszkiewicz

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead

Paul Banaszkiewicz is a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, specialising in hip and knee arthroplasty. He graduated from University of Glasgow, completed basic surgical training in the Merseyside Deanery, and undertook specialist registrar training on the North East of Scotland training programme.

He is currently a Trustee of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and Chair of the BOA Education and Careers (EdCar) Committee, leading initiatives focused on professional development, mentoring, workforce support, and equity of opportunity across orthopaedics. He has helped develop national educational programmes including the BOA–BODS Clinical Directors course, UKITE, Ortho Update and Extended Clinical Team initiatives at BOA Congress.

Paul is Editor of the Journal of Trauma and Orthopaedics (JTO) and co-leads the TENDON study evaluating musculoskeletal education within UK medical schools. He has a particular interest in differential attainment, widening participation, and improving access to mentorship and career development within surgical training.

He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators, and holds a Master’s degree in Medical Education from Newcastle University. He also serves as an Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC) member and Quality Assurance Assessor for the RCSEng.

As Visiting Professor at Northumbria University, Paul helps bridge academic research with practical clinical orthopaedic practice. He has supported the BOA Futures Leadership Programme, BOA Travelling Fellowships, and the educational activities of the British Orthopaedic Trainees Association (BOTA). He is also lead editor and author of three internationally recognised FRCS (Tr & Orth) textbooks, which have received several BMA Book Awards.

Paul has undertaken humanitarian orthopaedic work in Northern Iraq and remains committed to international collaboration, diversity, and inclusion within orthopaedics. Outside work, he enjoys running, skiing, gardening, and supporting Burnley F.C..

Sarah Nellis

Trauma Nurse Specialist, James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough

Sarah is a Trauma Nurse Specialist at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough. 

She has many years of nursing experience in providing care for trauma and orthopaedic patients. Beginning her career as a Healthcare Assistant on the Trauma Ward at Middlesbrough General Hospital in 1993 before qualifying as a registered nurse in 1998, progressing to Trauma Ward Manager at James Cook Hospital in 2012. 

Since 2016, after achieving MSc Advanced Clinical Assessment and Non-Medical Prescribing qualifications, Sarah has advanced her role to that of Trauma Co-ordinator / Trauma Nurse Practitioner.  

The role involves working with the on-call team organising the daily running of the trauma service combined with providing clinical care for injured patients within the ward and outpatient settings.  

Sarah runs a twice weekly nurse-led out-patient clinic for review of patients including those attending for their initial post-operative assessment, for follow up after non-operatively managed fractures with X-Ray surveillance or provide rapid access clinical assessment for patients contacting with concerns or complication after discharge. 

As a BOA qualified casting practitioner Sarah works with her plaster room colleagues in providing teaching sessions to Emergency Department staff on the principles and practice of safe and effective cast application. 

Having a special interest in limb reconstruction Sarah works closely with her Ortho-plastics and Microbiology colleagues to co-ordinate and provide continuity of care for patients receiving complex, multidisciplinary care following trauma, deformity correction and infection.