Mr James Fountain MB ChB MRCS FRCS (T&O)

James Fountain

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. 

he has established services that are of clinical benefit nationally, regionally and to the trust,  developing 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.

 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. 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 &amp.

Surgeons of the future is important to him and he interviews for Liverpool Medical School 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, he organises and runs 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 &amp
  • 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 &amp 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)

More Info

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.