Keele University and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) have teamed up to appoint a new Consultant Senior Lecturer of Population Orthopaedics.

Geraint Thomas will team up with colleagues at the specialist hospital to form a young hip unit, working under the clinical leadership of Chris Evans, an experienced Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon who has been working out of Oswestry for almost 15 years.

Geraint said: “I am thrilled to be joining a great team and organisation. Expanding the
research portfolio of the RJAH will improve patient care and I look forward to making this a
reality. My research will be focused on Population Orthopaedics – osteoarthritis in particular, but I will work hard to support my colleagues in pursuing and developing their own areas of
research. Collaboration is the key to success and working with Keele opens up very exciting new opportunities.”

Professor Christian Mallen, Director of Keele University’s Institute for Primary Care and
Health Sciences, said: “We are delighted that Geraint is joining us at the Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences. His expertise in orthopaedics and population medicine will be an excellent addition to our multidisciplinary team, and we look forward to developing exciting new programmes of work with one of the leading clinical academics in this field.”

Steve White, Medical Director at RJAH, said: “This is an exciting joint appointment linking
Keele, with its expertise in primary health care, and this Trust, with its expertise in specialist
surgery, to look at the whole population in relation to musculoskeletal care. Population Health is now beginning to get the priority it deserves and has recently been recognised in the new NHS Long-Term plan, which has just been published. Geraint has already made great strides in understanding the nature of osteoarthritis, particularly of the hip. We are delighted that he has agreed to join us and look forward to him arriving in the summer.

Geraint will take up the role from 1 July.