BPOS

4.10pm – 5.40pm BST, 16 September 2025 ‐ 1 hour 30 mins

Room: Room 11A

Specialist Society

Session Title: “Protecting Patients, Protecting Surgeons” — Prevention of Primary and Secondary Injury  

Chair & Co-Chairs: Tahir Khan   

Session Description 

In today’s healthcare environment, surgeons face increasing scrutiny regarding decision-making, documentation, consent processes, and the management of adverse events. 
The British Pakistani Orthopaedic Society session “Protecting Patients, Protecting Surgeons”, will focus on the prevention of primary and secondary injuries in orthopaedic practice. This session will provide a deep dive into the clinical, legal, and ethical dimensions of surgical care, equipping attendees with the knowledge and strategies to minimize patient harm while safeguarding themselves professionally. 
 
The concept of injury in orthopaedics extends beyond the initial trauma. While primary injury refers to the direct result of a pathological or traumatic event, secondary injuries can arise as result of delays in managing the cause of first complication. This may affect the surgeon as well as the following patients. 
This session will systematically explore both levels of injury, discussing risk factors, early warning signs, and intervention points to prevent escalation. From surgical site infections to neurovascular compromise and other failures, the clinical focus will address common yet critical complications that can compromise patient outcomes and surgeon accountability. 
 
A major highlight of the session is its integration of the medico-legal landscape surrounding orthopaedic complications. Through the lens of real-world case studies, the session will examine legal expectations, standards of care, and the surgeon’s duty of candour. Attendees will gain insight into how the legal system evaluates complications, what constitutes negligence, and how surgeons can best protect themselves through effective communication, thorough record-keeping, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines. 
 
The session will be delivered in an interactive format, encouraging dialogue between attendees and a distinguished panel comprising both legal and medical experts. Orthopaedic consultants will present clinical scenarios and discuss preventive strategies, while experienced medico-legal professionals will provide analysis of legal implications and risk mitigation strategies. Together, the panel will offer a 360-degree view of complication management, fostering a culture of safety, transparency, and mutual protection. 
 
Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and explore practical solutions to challenges they encounter in their own practice. Emphasis will be placed on proactive approaches: how to build systems and habits that not only enhance patient safety but also reduce personal exposure to litigation. 
 
This session is ideal for orthopaedic surgeons at all stages of their careers—from trainees developing a foundation of safe surgical practice, to senior consultants navigating the complexities of modern clinical governance. It will be particularly beneficial to those seeking to strengthen their understanding of the intersection between clinical outcomes and legal accountability. 
 
Join us for this important and insightful session, where protecting the patient and protecting the surgeon go hand-in-hand, and where knowledge becomes the best form of defence. 

Agenda 

16:10 - 16:20: BPOS Activities 2024/25
Ghulam Abbas, Tahir Khan, Adeel Akhtar  

16:20 - 16:30: How to prevent harm to patient and surgeon - overview
Tahir Khan, Ansar Mahmood, Rizwan Shahid  

16:30 - 17:00: Clinical Negligence in T & O Surgery
Stuart Matthews, Ansar Mahmood, Tahir Khan 

17:00 - 17:15: Medico-legal implications for T & O field work
Ansar Mahmood, Tahir Khan, Stuart Matthews 

17:15 - 17:30: Challenges of providing Orthopaedic care in the developing world 
Mubshshar Ahmad, Tahir Khan, Adeel Akhtar

17:30- 17:40: Q&A  

Speakers

Tahir Khan

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Stanmore

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Muhammed Adeel Akhtar

Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon, NHS Fife

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Ghulam Abbas

Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Stuart Matthews

Retired Consultant Trauma Surgeon Leeds General Infirmary, Director TLA Medicolegal

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Ansar Mahmood

Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, President of The British Trauma Society, Research Lead for Orthopaedic Trauma & The Major Trauma Service, University Hospital Birmingham

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Tahir Khan

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Stanmore

Tahir Khan is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon currently working at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore in the Young Adult Hip Unit.

He was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Central Manchester University Hospitals in October 2002, where he established a high quality lower limb and children's orthopaedic surgery practice before relocating to Stanmore in May 2013. He trained in the north-west of England (Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester) and undertook specialist fellowship training in the USA, Toronto, Canada, and Mainz, Germany. He was also awarded the prestigious American - British - Canadian (ABC) fellowship in 2004 by the British Orthopaedic Association.

Prof. Khan is passionate about research. His research interests include arthroscopic hip surgery in children and adults, joint replacement in young adults, gait analysis in children and cerebral palsy. He is a member of faculty in regional, national and international conferences /courses in areas of his interest.

He enjoys alpine trekking and reading in his spare time. 

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Muhammed Adeel Akhtar

Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon, NHS Fife

Mr Akhtar is a fellowship trained Orthopaedic surgeon currently working as a consultant in NHS Fife and specialising in lower limb arthroplasty, arthroscopy, trauma and sports injuries. He completed his Fellowship in Sydney on “Lower Limb Arthroscopy, Arthroplasty and Osseointegration," and “Speciality Training in Trauma and Orthopaedics” in the Northeast of England. He was awarded an “MD” from the University of Edinburgh, studying the role of “Hypermobility in ACL injuries and Shoulder instability.” He completed the “Diploma in Sports and Exercise Medicine” from the Royal College of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, and passed the National Intercollegiate Fellowship exam “FRCSEd (Trauma & Orthopaedics)” and “European Fellowship exam in Orthopaedics and Traumatology (FEBOT)” in 2018.

He also completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery from the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Glasgow, and received training on biological therapies from the Academy of Regenerative Medicine.

Mr Akhtar’s clinical practice centres on knee and hip replacement surgery, knee joint preservation techniques including realignment surgery (High Tibial Osteotomy), Meniscal and cartilage procedures, general orthopaedics, and all aspects of musculoskeletal trauma including sports injuries management.

Currently he is undertaking an NRS research fellowship studying the “Role of Digital health in managing obese patients with end stage lower limb arthritis” along with undertaking an international multi centre trial on Link uncemented cup for hip replacement as a Principal investigator in Fife

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Ghulam Abbas

Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

BSc MBBS MSc (Sports Medicine) MRCS, FRCS (Trauma and Orthopaedics) PGHE (Healthcare)

Mr Ghulam Abbas is a Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon at the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He is a fellowship trained spinal surgeon. After completing his higher surgical training in Trauma & Orthopaedics in Yorkshire, he sub-specialised in spinal surgery. Abbas did his spinal surgery training at Nottingham, Leeds and Sheffield spinal units.

Abbas is currently President of British Pakistani Orthopaedic Society (BPOS)

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Stuart Matthews

Retired Consultant Trauma Surgeon Leeds General Infirmary, Director TLA Medicolegal

Stuart Matthews has been a consultant surgeon specialising in major trauma and the complications of the same for all of his consultant career with 18 years of military service and 27 years in the NHS in Leeds and in Oxford in major Trauma Units. He is cofounder of TLA Medicolegal, a medicolegal chambers formed in 2005. He has practiced as an expert witness for personal injury since 1989 and clinical negligence since 1994. He has also taken instructions for criminal cases. His clinical practice is now confined to providing second opinions. 

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Ansar Mahmood

Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, President of The British Trauma Society, Research Lead for Orthopaedic Trauma & The Major Trauma Service, University Hospital Birmingham

Mr. Ansar Mahmood serves as a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at University Hospital Birmingham. Specializing in the treatment of complex musculoskeletal injuries, Mr. Mahmood provides comprehensive, patient-focused care. His work not only enhances clinical outcomes but also contributes significantly to the field of orthopaedic surgery through ongoing research and the training of future surgeons.