Job summary
Join the Trauma and Orthopaedics team at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with a specialist interest in Lower Limb, Hip and Knee Arthroplasty. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a high-performing consultant team delivering both elective and trauma services across Watford General Hospital and St Albans City Hospital. We are looking for a motivated and collaborative clinician with excellent lower limb orthopaedic expertise, a commitment to high-quality patient care, education, service improvement, and multidisciplinary working. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing and enhancing lower limb services while supporting the training and development of junior medical staff. Working at West Herts offers the opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking organisation committed to innovation, clinical excellence, and compassionate care.

Core hours: The role includes planned clinical activities between approximately 8:00am and 7:30pm Monday to Friday across two hospital sites, with participation in a consultant on-call rota of 1 in 8 weekdays and 1 in 12 weekends. Cross-site working and travel between sites are required. Full details will be discussed at interview.

Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will provide consultant-led trauma and elective orthopaedic care, with a specialist focus on lower limb surgery, including hip and knee arthroplasty. Working as part of a team of 17 consultants, you will deliver high-quality clinical care across Watford General Hospital and St Albans City Hospital, undertaking outpatient clinics, elective operating lists, trauma surgery, fracture clinics and participation in the consultant on-call rota.

You will contribute to the supervision, training and development of junior doctors, support clinical audit, governance, research and service improvement activities, and work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams to enhance patient outcomes and experience.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking orthopaedic surgeon with excellent clinical and operative skills in lower limb surgery, strong leadership and communication abilities, and a commitment to teaching, innovation and quality improvement. The successful candidate will be motivated, organised, adaptable and committed to delivering compassionate, professional and inclusive care in line with Trust values.

About us
With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.

Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.

We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance. Apply through our website.

Essential

• Eligible for full GMC registration On GMC Specialist Register within 6 months of date of appointment. Success in intercollegiate speciality examination or overseas speciality examination.
• Excellence clinical skills Capacity to use and develop a widerange of theoretical approaches.

Desirable

• Higher Academic Degree
• Worked at least five Years at specialist Registrar or equivalent

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address: Watford General Hospital, 60 Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0HB, United Kingdom
Closing date: 01 December 2026
Reference number: 360-B-1197

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.