Orthopaedic Department

The Orthopaedics Unit provides inpatient and outpatient services to people of all ages with musculoskeletal problems. 

Our 72 in-patient beds cater for a diverse range of elective cases including hip, shoulder and elbow replacements as well as trauma cases, including complex pelvic reconstructions. The beds are in three wards, one of which is for paediatric patients. The majority of elective cases attend pre-admission clinics prior to theatre. Twice a week there are structured multi-disciplinary teaching sessions for patients undergoing total joint replacement surgery. These have been very successful in ensuring that discharge planning starts as soon as possible. The outpatient area sees approximately 1400 patients per month in fracture clinics and consultant clinics and the plaster room, whilst there are approximately 300 inpatient admissions per month. We have a high trauma caseload with dedicated theatre lists.

Who we are:

• Clinical director
• eight consultant orthopaedic surgeons
• 10 registrar positions (four advanced trainee positions, one SET positions and one exchange with UK)
• Six house officers
• Four clinical nurse managers (includes outpatients).

We provide:

• There are approximately 30 theatre sessions per week. Registrars get the opportunity to have their own lists.
• Senior RMOs attend relevant courses and conferences in New Zealand and Australia.
• There are weekly formal teaching sessions and opportunities taken to teach informally throughout the day.