Mr Adrian Butler-Manuel and Mr Hugh Apthorp founded and continue to develop a dedicated lower limb research unit at Conquest hospital, providing nationally and international recognised clinical research. This assists with evidence based patient focused service redesign for the Orthopaedic services offered at East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust.
The research unit is structured within the orthopaedic directorate. Clinical fellows are recruited in primary and revision hip and knee surgery. A research co-ordinator manages the many studies that are ongoing with two full time senior research physiotherapists and a secretary in permanent post.
The unit provides patient follow-up for all primary lower limb joint replacements and continued review of patient’s recruited to any clinical studies or audits. Follow up is carried out at Conquest, Bexhill and Eastbourne hospitals.
In addition to this the unit manages the National Joint Registry for the trust and is actively involved in improving patient experiences within orthopaedics and the modernisation of services through long term follow up, audit, patient satisfaction monitoring and clinical recommendations for good practice.
