NUH surgeon reflects on year as President of the British Hip Society

The UK’s leading surgeons gathered in Nottingham this week to discuss innovations in hip surgery. The conference was hosted by Andrew Manktelow, President of the British Hip Society, one of the country’s top Orthopaedic Surgeons working at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

The British Hip Society (BHS), made up of Consultant and training surgeons from across the UK, who gathered in Nottingham this week to share best practice and innovations in hip surgery to further improve the outcomes for patients.

Mr Manktelow said: “The reason I moved to Nottingham from London almost 20 years ago, is because of the great reputation Nottingham has for Orthopaedic Surgery. Each year I perform around 350 hip and joint replacement and revision surgeries on patients across the East Midlands and from further afield – as Nottingham is a centre of excellence for this and other aspects of orthopaedic surgery, with among the best outcomes in the country. 

“NUH is leading the way in many of its practices and it is my pleasure, as President of the British Hip Society, to have been able to bring this year’s prestigious conference to Nottingham.”

The British Hip Society has more than 400 members and an annual conference is held each year in the city of its President, which this year is Mr Manktelow.

At the conference this week, a variety of topics have been discussed, including funding for hip surgery in the NHS, the choice of implants used, expected activity levels post hip surgery and how hip replacement patients should be reviewed over time. Many research and technical scientific papers and posters were presented. 

Mr Manktelow added: “As part of an established and award winning weekly meeting chaired in Nottingham and involving a regional network of hospitals in the East Midlands, all cases of revision surgery planned are discussed to allow a management plan to be determined and agreed. The various procedures are discussed, so that we can make sure the outcomes for these types of complex surgery are as good as they can be.” 

As one of the leading centres of excellence for complex hip and orthopaedic surgery nationally, NUH has Orthopaedic Consultant Surgeons who carry out numerous hip and knee hip operations a year in our state-of-the-art Elective Orthopaedic Theatres at City Hospital. 

Andrew said: “It is very important to understand that a surgeon never acts alone, we are always part of a really big team. We are extremely lucky to have such a fantastic team of theatre and ward nurses physiotherapists, occupational therapists and radiographers who work together to make sure the patient is recovering well.”

Over the last 12-months hip surgery has had particular prominence in public interest with famous faces undergoing complex hip surgery in the UK, including HRH Prince Phillip and last month, tennis star Andy Murray.

Mr Manktelow said: “There has generated lots of public and media interest. I have been asked to comment on the indications and surgical technique in a number of newspaper and television interviews following those procedures, as part of my presidency.”

On Friday Mr Manktelow will be passing on the Presidency to his orthopaedic colleague and friend Mr Stephen Jones in Cardiff.

Mr Manktelow added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to see the British Hip Society flag flying over the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham City Centre this week and I feel privileged to have been able to bring this important meeting home to Nottingham.