Bullying in the orthopaedic workplace. How did we get here and where are we going? BOTA recently highlighted the issues of bullying, undermining and harassment within the surgical workplace. This came as a shock to many of us who considered these to be problems of the past. Do they REALLY still exist? Fergal Monsell – paediatric orthopaedic surgeon in Bristol has some interesting views about why they might, and what we can do about it.

Surgeons are expected to be resilient without ever learning how. They are expected to achieve perfect outcomes, deal with acute and chronic stress, but without necessarily having the appropriate skills. Liggy Webb is a best selling author and leading authority on resilience. She works with the United Nations as a consultant and has helped big organisations from universities to councils to supermarkets. More recently she has worked with NHS staff including groups of doctors. During this Orthopodcast, Liggy introduces us to the concept of resilience and how trainers and trainees can develop their ability to bounce back.

Niall Eames – Consultant Spinal Surgeon (T&O) – Northern Ireland

Niall Eames and Aprajay Golash explore some ways of managing the difficulties encountered as a newly appointed consultant, with a particular focus on controlling the controllables, dealing with inevitable complications and balancing home and work.

Nigel Rossiter, Consultant T&O Surgeon in Basingstoke and past President of the Orthopaedic Trauma Society, discusses the evolution of trauma care and relates it to trauma physiology.

Extensive research into surgeon’s decision-making and operative skills, made this month’s orthopodcaster realise that stress has a significant impact on both. Uttam Shiralkar worked as a surgeon for 15 years in the UK, India and USA. A developing interest in psycho-oncology and medical problems following a car accident, contributed to a move to the field of psychological medicine. This new strand of expertise illuminated the impact a surgeon’s psychology can have on clinical outcomes.