New Orthopaedic Research Institute launched at Bournemouth University

A new Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI) has been launched at Bournemouth University, with the intention of working across the university and with local hospitals and industry partners to carry out research that will improve patient care and develop clinician practice in the UK.

ORI is being led by Professor Rob Middleton and Associate Professor Tom Wainwright, both of whom have national and international reputations for their research work.

Professor Middleton said, “Establishing ORI stems from our passion for improving the quality of care for orthopaedic patients. Our previous research has demonstrated that enhanced recovery pathways can make a significant difference both to patient recovery and clinical practice. By delivering multi-disciplinary support from the beginning of a patient’s journey, we can improve quality of care and reduce the length of hospital stay needed."

The number of orthopaedic surgeries carried out in Dorset is high, so there is potential for ORI's research to make a significant difference to clinical practice and patients in the local area.  This potential has been recognised by the the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) who are providing seed funding to enable the purchase of equipment to support ORI's work.

Associate Professor Tom Wainwright said, “We are very grateful for the generous support from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which is enabling us to purchase state-of-the-art gait analysis equipment, allowing us to further develop our clinical research. We will be working closely with local hospitals and practitioners to ensure that our research is tackling the issues they face on a daily basis.”

Speaking on behalf of the Dorset LEP, Chairman Gordon Page said, "The launch of ORI heralds an exciting time for Dorset, as their programme has the potential to bring in new investment and jobs to the region.  It is great example of the key role that we, the LEP, play in supporting local business and economic growth."

Professor John Fletcher, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Bournemouth University welcomed ORI's launch by saying, "Health related research is well established at Bournemouth University and we are delighted to be adding to our research expertise by founding ORI and working with local partners to deliver solutions to issues that will only grow as people live longer. Our research will make a real difference to peoples’ lives not only here in Dorset but also globally."