An orthopaedic surgeon from Suffolk has become the second consultant from Ipswich Hospital to be elected as president of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) in its 106 year history. 

Mark Bowditch, a leading orthopaedic knee surgeon at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), has been a consultant for 24 years, but first arrived at Ipswich Hospital as a registrar 28 years ago. 

In his inaugural speech to the BOA in Birmingham last week, Mr Bowditch paid tribute to the late Dame Clare Marx who became the first female president of the BOA in 2009 and also was the first female president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Dame Clare was one of Mr Bowditch’s mentors and coincidentally in the year of Mr Bowditch’s presidency ESNEFT will shortly be opening a £70million new elective orthopaedic centre named after her.

In his speech Mr Bowditch said:  “As we have all heard from the new Government, it's time to change the emphasis from treatment to prevention.”

He said his presidential year's theme was 'Preventing harm and Transforming lives through orthopaedic care'.

He said the BOA, which represents UK orthopaedic surgeons and patients, would be assisting this by lobbying for a national knee ligament injury prevention programme, changing the fireworks laws to reduce hand injuries, and universal fracture liaison services across the country.

It would also focus on prioritising preventing infection rather than tackling it once it's occurred and Mr Bowditch suggested there should also be a focus on individual and team well-being, preventing poor leadership and toxic work cultures and communicating and collaborating with management.

Speaking about his new role Mr Bowditch said: “It’s an honour to be asked by my peers to lead the association, and I’m delighted and humbled to have been elected to this national role.

“The scale and importance of the role, representing both the profession and the patients we serve, excites me and it’s an extremely important time with so many people waiting for treatment and living with pain and disability.

“I’m really looking forward to representing and supporting my fellow orthopaedic surgeons to deliver high standards of care.”