Nick Gillham - Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Nick Gillham is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at
Horton Treatment Centre, in Banbury. Nick had been practising in
the NHS for over 12 years before he was seconded to the new
treatment centre, on the site of Horton General Hospital, in
2005.
ISTCs were very much an unknown when I was first asked to get
involved. But if you were asked if you would like a new,
purpose-built unit, with unlimited capacity, would you say no?
Since the day we opened, the unit has gone from strength to
strength. My colleagues and I have up to 30 operating lists a week,
and have never cancelled a case for lack of a bed or if a list
over-runs. And all staff smile!
A key reason for our success is that Consultants have genuine
managerial influence in an organisation that wants to excel.
Consultants are able to influence their lists and how they are run
so that I can now operate on 25% more cases than when I had no
control of the list size or content.
I have also been able to develop my practice, particularly in
upper limb joint replacement.. As my waiting time has come down, so
my referrals have gone up and I am able to see more complex
cases.
As a result I am now a reference centre for
several of these joints and have become actively involved in
prosthesis design, teaching visiting surgeons and running cadaver
courses. Ramsay at Horton been chosen to trial new
developments around the wrist, performing the first joint
replacement for trauma in the wrist outside the USA.
One of my colleagues planned to retire at 60, but changed his
mind as "the treatment centre is the best thing in my whole NHS
career–I am doing the best and happiest work of my Consultant life.
There is no doubt that we have been given a privileged environment
in which to work.