Birmingham Orthopaedic Network

Welcome to the Birmingham Orthopaedic Network

The Birmingham Orthopaedic Network (BON) is the official trainee-led collaborative network of the Birmingham Orthopaedic Training programme (BOTP) dedicated to enhancing orthopaedic training, research, and professional development across the region. Our mission is to foster collaboration among trainees, consultants, and allied healthcare professionals to improve patient care and surgical education.

BON was founded by Mr. Usman Ahmed with the vision of creating a collaborative and educational hub for orthopaedic trainees. The Birmingham Orthopaedic Network (BON) has its roots in the traditional collaborative model but has been expanded to promote wider engagement beyond surgical trainees. In addition, the model has sought to facilitate training and education as part of a broader drive towards an improved and engaging culture.

The proposal for the BON (August 2017) initially achieved broad stakeholder support on a local and regional level, with support from the Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme, the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, and Health Education England. From the outset, infrastructure was developed towards three strategic aims:

To facilitate collaborative working with robust protocols and policies to enable rapid development, assessment, and implementation of audit/research projects.
To develop a pathway to allow medical students to actively participate in trainee-supervised projects.
To build an educational platform.

Through structured teaching, hands-on workshops, and research initiatives, we aim to provide high-quality learning opportunities that complement formal training. Whether you're a trainee looking to develop your skills, a consultant keen on mentorship, or a researcher seeking collaboration, BON offers a platform to connect, learn, and grow.

Join us as we work together to shape the future of orthopaedics in Birmingham and beyond.

Message from the Training programme Director

Since completing my qualifications at Nagpur University in 1992 and joining the BOTP in 2000, I have been deeply involved in the field of Orthopaedics. My appointment as a Consultant in 2006 was part of a journey that led me to specialise in Lower Limb Arthroplasty and Knee Reconstruction.

In 2019, I took on the role of Assistant TPD for the Birmingham rotation, and as of January 2024, I have the honor of serving as the TPD. Our training programme, established in 1976, has a rich legacy of excellence in Orthopaedic education. It has continually evolved to meet the dynamic standards of today's curriculum. Our six-year Higher Surgical Training programme allows trainees to experience a diverse range of practices across eight hospital trusts.

We pride ourselves on offering comprehensive training in Trauma and Orthopaedics, with specialized opportunities in major trauma at the Queen Elizabeth hospital and elective Orthopaedics at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. Our programme currently nurtures 43 Specialist trainees and boasts a high success rate in the FRCS (Tr & Orth) examination, under the auspices of the West Midlands Deanery. Many of our trainees have secured prestigious fellowships and have been appointed to Consultant positions of their choosing.

The cornerstone of our programme's success is the unwavering commitment and enthusiasm for teaching and training by our dedicated trainers.

Mr. Shreeram Deshpande
MS Orth, DNB Orth, FRCS T&O, MSc Orth Eng
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, RWT Wolverhampton
Director, Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme.

Message from the Medical Education Training programme Director

I’m Shahbaz Malik, Educational/Assistant TPD for the Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme. I qualified from Cardiff University, and joined the BOTP in 2010 as a run-through trainee. After obtaining my CCT in 2018 and completing 2.5 years of Fellowships in Sports Surgery (Shoulder & Knee), I took up a Consultant post at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in 2020.

I first served as Education TPD for Core Surgical Training in the West Midlands before taking over the current role from Mr Deshpande in February 2024. Having been a trainee on the BOTP, I am in tune with the ethos of the programme as well as the need to deliver teaching in modern times to prepare our trainees for not just for the FRCS exam but also for independent practice.

I am proud of the BOTP which allows trainees to rotate through centres of excellence delivering sup-specialised training. We provide an environment where we can deliver a world-class educational programme with support of local, national and international Consultant colleagues.

Mr. Shahbaz Malik

BSc (Hons), MB BCh, MSc (Orth Engin), LLM, FRCS (Tr & Orth)

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Education/Assistant Training Programme Director, BOTP