Surgeon – Will Thomas
The Surgeon
Mr William Thomas FRCS (Tr & Orth), MB BS, BSC (hons), PGCME
My name is William Thomas and I am a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. I specialise specifically in conditions and injuries of the shoulder and elbow joints.
I fully appreciate how shoulder and elbow joint pain may impact on every aspect of your life and it is my primary aim to relieve your pain, restore function and return you to a happy and fulfilling life. I endeavour to use my years of specialist experience to provide you with bespoke advice, care and treatment. In doing so, I will ensure that your needs remain central to any treatment decisions taken and the care that I provide to you.
More About Me :
My Specialist Practice
My specialist practise is based at the distinguished and historic Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre, PEOC at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital and the adjacent Exeter Nuffield Hospital. My expertise is in assessment and management of all shoulder and elbow conditions and joint injuries.
With my colleague Chris Smith, I lead the team at PEOC that acts as the regional referral hub for specialist elbow problems and patients needing replacement surgery. Exeter sits in the top 10 of UK centres for shoulder and elbow replacement surgery according to the National Joint Registry and I perform 2-3 times the national average of replacements each year.
I manage conditions such as arthritis, tendon injuries and joint dislocations using specialist keyhole and open surgical techniques. I have a particular interest in joint replacement surgery and complex surgical reconstruction. I advise the implant companies in the development of their shoulder replacements and am currently working with a trans-Atlantic team developing the MAKO robotic surgical arm, to assist surgeons in the accurate placement of implants during shoulder replacement surgery. I am also a trauma surgeon, caring for the injured of Exeter and surrounding areas with all type of upper and lower limb orthopaedic injuries.
I am drawn to the challenge of managing problems of these two most complex joints and I thoroughly enjoy my work as a shoulder and elbow surgeon. I am driven by a desire to improve my knowledge, skills and the treatments I provide and in turn, those of the wider shoulder and elbow surgical community around me.
Surgeon Profile, National Joint Registry - Mr William Thomas (GMC 6028849)
My Qualifications & Awards
2013 CCT (Certificate of Completion of Surgical Training)
2013 Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
2012 Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education
2011 FRCS (Tr & Orth)
2005 MRCS (Eng)
2002 Full GMC registration (6028849)
2001 MBBS (Lond)
1998 BSc (Hons) (Lond) Physiology & Pharmacology 2:1 (Intercalated)
AWARDS
Early Manipulation of the Frozen Shoulder
2011 Best Paper, Bristol Orthopaedic Registrar Annual Presentations, Bristol
2010 Prize Paper, South West Orthopaedic Club, Plymouth
Enhanced Orthopaedic Recovery
2010 Best Paper, South West Orthopaedic Club, Yeovil
2010 Prize Poster, 1st International Conference on Enhanced Recovery, Bristol.
2006 Surgical Team of the Year Award - Hospital Doctor Magazine
Orthopaedic Department, Great Western Hospital, Swindon
1993-1995 Bursary Scholarship (rugby and academic studies), Millfield School
My Education
2010 – 2012 University of Bristol, Centre for Medical Education
1998 – 1999 University College London, Department of Physiology
1995 – 2001 University College & Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London
1993 – 1995 Millfield School, Somerset
1981 – 1993 Westbourne School, Penarth, South Wales
My Surgical Experience
I have thoroughly enjoyed every part of my surgical journey. After medical school in London, I moved to the West Country for my basic surgical training in Bath in 2003 then graduated to Orthopaedic training in Bristol in 2007. I became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2011 and took up my Consultant position in 2013.
I have a broad experience of shoulder, elbow and trauma surgery, completing advanced surgical fellowships in Geelong, Australia and at the South West of England’s Major Trauma Centre in Frenchay Hospital, Bristol.
I am a member of the British Shoulder and Elbow Society, the British Trauma Association, the British Orthopaedic Association and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 2020 I was invited to join the prestigious Watanabe Club, a society of British shoulder surgeons with a unified interest in sharing surgical experience and keyhole surgical techniques.
Insurance and Fees
I welcome patients with or without medical health insurance.
I am a fee assured specialist and I am a recognised provider of the following health insurance partners:
- AVIVA
- AXA
- Benenden
- BUPA
- BUPA International
- Cigna
- Healix
- Vitality
- WPA
More information about my practice is available via the Private Healthcare Information Network website. For bespoke information, specific to your care, please contact my secretary, Vicky (Contact Page)
My Teaching Interests
I have a keen interest in medical education and recognises the importance of training tomorrow’s surgeons.
- I was the lead clinician for Orthopaedic Trainees in PEOC from 2014 to 2019 and continue to supervise Foundation and Core Surgical Trainees:
- I train Orthopaedic Specialist Registrars from the Peninsular Deanery;
- I run the well-respected Exeter Shoulder & Elbow Fellowship programme with my consultant colleagues, Chris Smith and Jeff Kitson; a finishing school for surgeons who have completed their training and are waiting to take up consultant appointments.
I am invited to teach on a number orthopaedic and trauma courses including the Watanbe Course, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Trauma & Orthopaedics Specialist Training Programme and at industry sponsored events such as Arthrex Live.
I hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from Bristol University and I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
My Research Interests
High quality and relevant research underpin my practice. I am continually seeking novel and innovative ways of improving the care I provides to my patients. I am widely published in the field of Shoulder and Elbow surgery and have presented my work around the world.
I have a major research interest in joint replacement surgery with current research projects defining the long-term outcomes of contemporary implants, reducing surgical risks and improving accuracy and outcomes. I have been published more widely on the causes and treatments of Frozen Shoulder, biomechanical research in joint replacement and shoulder trauma and in novel methods of enhancing patient experience after surgery.
Peer Reviewed Publications (PDF - Full List)
International Podium Presentations (PDF - Full List)
Outside of Work
I have a passion for sport and this remains my main outlet for extra-curricular fulfilment and relaxation. I am a retired rugby player and now a keen endurance athlete. The winter is for running and spring for marathons; the summer is kite surfing, and when the wind isn’t blowing for triathlons, cycling and sociable golf. I have a young family that sometimes join me in many of these endeavours and enhance my life in many other ways!
My Medicolegal Practice
I produce expert medical reports for the Court in matters of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence. My scope of practice reflects my clinical work as a general trauma surgeon and my highly specialised shoulder and elbow surgical practice.
Information for Patients/Claimants
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Information for Legal Teams
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My Privacy and GDPR Policies
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