The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest specialist orthopaedic units in Europe. It provides elective orthopaedic surgery for the West Midlands and is a national
and international referral centre for orthopaedic oncology.
There are 25 consultants, 7 Staff Grade Doctors, 5 Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and 2 trainee AAs. Three of the Consultants are also pain consultants. The rota is nominally 1 in 7. The rota is a
partial shift and is compliant with existing worktime regulations. The rota is hugely flexible as the emergency and out of hours workload is relatively low with no ED to support. We try to
minimise the amount of time spent covering HDU and maximise theatre training opportunities.
Trainees are largely supernumerary in what is overwhelmingly a consultant-delivered service allowing trainees considerably more flexibility than they might have elsewhere.
We have 14 theatres with two recovery areas. Attached to theatres is a day-case unit and a High Dependency Unit with 8 adult beds. There are 5 adult wards. It has changed a little since
Covid though lack of beds is still a rare cause of cancellation which leads to efficient and satisfying working
conditions.
Currently we provide anaesthetic services for:
- Spinal Deformity (scoliosis)
- Major oncology resections
- Non-deformity spinal surgery
- Young adult hip
- Primary and Revision arthroplasty
- Arthroscopy (soft tissue)
- Hand surgery
- Foot & Ankle
There is a strong interest in regional anaesthesia within the department and the consultant-heavy service allows trainees to move around the theatre suite performing blocks. With
application and organisation it should be possible to perform 50-100 blocks during a 3-month attachment, some
trainees have managed many more.
Trainees are also welcome to join lists for major orthopaedic oncology and spinal lists. Those trainee anaesthetists with an interest in Spinal/Neuroanaesthesia are welcome to join spinal
lists, some of which include one-lung anaesthesia.
The department runs the Pre-Op Assessment Clinic and has 10 consultant sessions for this.
Trainees are welcome to attend POAC for experience of decision making in a relatively isolated unit. The Pain Service can also accommodate trainees with an interest.
We support training relating to Orthopaedic, Regional, Day Case, Sedation, POM and Pain. Trainees will be released from clinical duties to attend Deanery Teaching, both for Final FRCA and
post-fellowship.
Having relatively few trainees also provides excellent opportunities for completion of quality improvement projects, meeting relatively high level managers and the experience that brings. A
number of our trainees have presented posters at anaesthetic meetings and gained useful experience in the way NHS management works.
Trainees interested in coming to the ROH are very welcome to visit the department. Please contact the College Tutor or Clinical Lead by email (see below).
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Bristol Road South
Northfield
Birmingham
B31 2AP
Telephone (Main): 0121 685 4000
Dept: 0121 685 4232
Hospital Website
Dr Jim Brunning (College Tutor): j.brunning@nhs.net
Dr Tony Sutherland (Clinical Lead): tony.sutherland@nhs.net
Jo McCaffrey (Anaesthetic PA): j.mccaffery@nhs.net
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