thebonedoctor.net
Metropolitan orthopaedic surgical practice in a rural location
A Brief Resume
Chris is originally from the north of England and having attended medical school in Nottingham he returned there to commence his general surgical training. He moved to New Zealand in 2000 where he recommenced training as a specialist orthopaedic surgeon. He has completed the standard training for Australia and New Zealand, sitting the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons exam in Sydney in September 2012, moving to Australia less than a year later. His experience of 20 years in orthopaedics, in three countries, three healthcare systems and 30 hospitals and with many, many surgical colleagues has afforded him the knowledge, skills and experience required to work well in regional practice.
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Chris has now been living with his daughter and working in Australia for over ten years with a thriving practice in Tamworth prior to moving to Mackay over 7 years ago.
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His interests outside of medicine, other than spending time with his daughter, are wide and varied, including sports (ex-Rugby Union player and university level karate, current power lifting and bowhunting), cars, motorbikes, reading (over 1000 non-medical books and 2000 comics at home!) and film.
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Having been recognised for his interest in cars in Mackay and over the years, Chris is now a keen member of a local car club and and regular motorbike rider (rain or shine).​​
UPDATE: Chris is now in the Army!
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Having worked in the public health sector for 28yrs Chris was looking for new challenges whilst still fulfilling his strong sense of civic duty and public commitment. He has now completed training and the recruitment and screening process and joined the Australian Defense Force as a Captain in the Army Reserves based in Brisbane (2 Health Battalion).
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If you'd like to know why Chris became a doctor and orthopaedic surgeon, this video from the Australian Orthopaedic Association goes some way to explaining the reasons why surgeons do what it is that they do.
COVID 19 AND PATIENTS MORE THAN 15KM FROM MACKAY
Simply click here for more information on our teleconference facilities
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PROFESSIONAL practice
What kind of work do you specialize in?
Chris' particular areas of interest include joint replacement of shoulder, hip and knee (including revision, or "redo" surgery of the hip and knee), hand-and-wrist, trauma, and open "soft tissue" shoulder surgery. Chris also has a special interest in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
This is reflected in his actual practice as shown below. These figures represent the percentage of work/operations performed over the last two years, combining public and private practice, including trauma.
AFFILIATIONS
MEMBER OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BODIES
Training in non-clinical professional skills for RACS Teaching faculty
Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient Teaching faculty for RACS
International ​affiliate member of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Training in non-clinical professional skills for RACS Teaching faculty
where are you from?
2013 - 2016
TAMWORTH NSW
Visiting Medical Officer
at Tamworth Base Hospital
and Tamara Private Hospital.
1994 - 2000
Working in the UK
Chris undertook extensive basic training as a doctor after leaving medical school working throughout the north of England in Newcastle, Whitehaven, Gateshead, South Shields, North Tyneside, North Tees as well as teaching anatomy at Newcastle Medical School and undertaking a year of clinical research.
2016 - DATE
MACKAY
Orthopaedic Staff Specialist
at Mackay Base Hospital
and Mater Misericordiae Private Hospital
2001 - 2013
NEW ZEALAND
Chris worked as a surgeon in Gisborne on the East Cape having trained and worked in Dunedin, Whangarei, Wanganui, Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Taranaki.
1987 - 1994
Medical School UK
Chris went to medical school at Nottingham University where he also undertook research for a Bachelor of Medical Sciences honours degree, as well as his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
1987 and prior
FAMILY HISTORY
Chris' immediate family are from the Lake District near the Scottish Borders.
WHY "thebonedoctor.net"
AND WHAT IS YOUR LOGO?
No surgeon ever works in isolation. One of the core values of surgery is teamwork and collegiality. As such in any unusual cases, or at any patient's request, Chris is very happy to discuss any difficult issues for patients with any of his colleagues. This ensures his patients always receive a balanced opinion leading to the best possble decisi​on-making in their care.
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​As you can see from the affiliations above, Chris​​ is an avid supporter of education and free access to health for all. As such he maintains a weekly full-day outpatient clinic at the base hospital. This clinic will remain at no cost to those attending on the understanding that, as a teaching hospital, you will be invited to take part in the education of future doctors.
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Due to the nature of Australian healthcare however this doesn't provide enough access for the local population to Orthopaedic services, with many patients leaving the area to have surgery performed at a network of other centres. Whilst the quality of this care is equivalent to that provided locally, the distances and time involved for those accessing it is great, with follow-up (especially if there are any post-operative issues which need urgent attention) sometimes difficult to arrange in a timely manner. ​
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As such, in order to provide both a complete package of care and full access to care, we offer appointments at Mackay Base Hospital and Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Mackay, with operating lists available in both public and private settings.
This logo is derived from the evolution of screwdrivers used for fixing broken bones. The first screwdrivers had a flat head, then a cross head. Research moved on to a hexagonal head (such as you would use with an Allen key) whereas the latest evolution is to "star" drives. This evolution is likely to continue...
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These have been represented in the colours of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the over-arching body governing all surgery in Australia and New Zealand, as shown in their logo below.
