Mr James Fountain MB ChB MRCS FRCS (T&O)
Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT)
Spire Liverpool Hospital
Clinical Practice
Mr Fountain was appointed as a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon in Liverpool in
2012. Since then, he has developed a complex primary and revision lower limb (hip & knee)
arthroplasty practice in addition to complex lower limb trauma. In conjunction with clinical
practice, he has established services that are of clinical benefit nationally, regionally and to
the trust. He has developed a regional network for complex and infected arthroplasty and
now co-leads the Northwest revision knee/hip network and is clinical lead for the Cheshire
& Mersey major revision centre (MRC) at LUHFT. Working as a trauma surgeon in the
Cheshire & Mersey Major Trauma Centre he is managing the most severely injured patients
in the region on a regular basis. Since 2013 he has practised privately at both the Sefton
Suite and Spire Liverpool Hospitals consulting orthopaedic patients with both elective
problems and trauma related injuries.
Mr Fountain covers a wide range of treatments which includes: Primary Knee and Hip
Replacements, Major/Complex Trauma and Acute Fracture Management. Subspecialist
interest includes Revision Knee and Hip Replacements, Periprosthetic Fractures,
Management of Orthopaedic Infection and Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Sports Injuries.
He was Clinical Director of Trauma & Orthopaedics between Nov 2016 and Nov 2020 and
led on the merger of Aintree UH and The Royal Liverpool UH NHS Trusts orthopaedic
service. This hospital merger and reconfiguration of trauma & orthopaedics across the city
has formed one of the biggest orthopaedic departments in the country. He is now Chief of
Staff and helps run the Care Group.
He continues to publish widely in peer-reviewed journals on orthopaedics and his chosen
subspecialties. Presenting nationally and internationally he is invited to lecture at hip and
knee arthroplasty meetings. Training and selecting the doctors & surgeons of the future is
important to him and he interviews for Liverpool Medical School, the department and sits
on the national interview panel for orthopaedic specialist registrars. He teaches regularly on
two Royal College of Surgeons courses as well as courses on orthopaedic infection, complex
hip/ knee surgery and FRCS (T&O) revision courses. As chair of the Cheshire & Mersey
Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) collaborative and with a special interest in orthopaedic
infection I organise and run the North West PJI meeting annually with over 100 senior
clinicians from across the country.
Medicolegal Experience
In addition to clinical practice Mr Fountain prepares over 300 medicolegal reports a year.
These include, reports ranging from soft tissue injuries to complex orthopaedic problems on
behalf of claimant, defendant and combined. Attendance at conferences and seminars on
medico-legal matters and understand Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules forms part of this
work. He has an interest in the recovery from orthopaedic injury in the medico-legal setting
basing this on a critical review of the medical literature.
Positions of Responsibility
Orthopaedic representative Spire Liverpool Medical Advisory Committee
(MAC)Procurement Lead Orthopaedic, Trauma & Major Trauma Care Group. LUHFT
Chief of Staff (T&O and Major Trauma Care Group) LUHFT
Clinical Lead (Co-chair) (C&M) NW Revision Arthroplasty Network
Vice-chair Sefton Suite Medical Advisory Committee
Chair Cheshire & Mersey PJI Collaborative
Organiser/Lead North West Periprosthetic Infection Meeting
Interviewing panel for the National ST3 appointments for T&O. Annually.
Ex-President 58 Society
Clinical Supervisor to Core and Specialist Trainees (Nominated Trainer of the year 2023).
Fellowship August 2011 – 2012 Cavendish Hip Fellowship, Sheffield Mr I Stockley, Mr R
Kerry, Mr S Buckley. This was an advanced lower limb arthroplasty fellowship in a tertiary
referral centre over a twelve month period managing primary and complex revision hip and
knee arthroplasty of septic and aseptic aetiology, periprosthetic fractures and total hip
replacement for fractured neck of femur. The unit is renowned for managing orthopaedic
infections and the position of Cavendish Hip Fellow required a close and effective
partnership with microbiologists and radiologists in managing these complex cases. As well
as clinical commitments time was dedicated to research, audit and teaching.
Married with three children Mr Fountain lives in Cheshire. He is a keen runner and plays
squash for a team on a weekly basis. Other interests include walking, skiing and travelling
with the family.