Andrew Port: Operating at the highest level

Meccano was always the “go to” Christmas present when he was growing up in Hartlepool, because he loved using screws, nuts and bolts to construct models and – even better – make them move.

He recalls the childhood memory of building his younger brother a fully functioning train set, and the enjoyment he derived from helping his dad get cars going again at the family-owned local garage.

“Deep down, I’m a frustrated engineer,” he smiles.

Today, Andy is still passionate about the process of building and fixing, except it’s no longer mechanical objects. His focus is on bones, muscles, and tendons to get people moving again, pain-free.

Indeed, he’s established as one of the country’s most experienced and respected orthopaedic surgeons, specialising for the past 25 years in knee and hip replacements.

“That’s what orthopaedic surgery is all about – bringing an element of engineering into the operating theatre,” he says. “My dad always told me – ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it’ – and I still stick to that philosophy.”

And yet, an eminent career as a surgeon seemed a distant hope while he was a pupil at English Martyrs Comprehensive School, where the careers advice was that kids from Hartlepool didn’t go to medical school.

His father, John, who started out as a marine engineer in Glasgow, had ended up running the service station at Owton Manor, in Hartlepool, but it was his mum, Marie – a nursery teacher – who pushed her children to aim high.

Andy was due to do an environmental health degree but a new headteacher at English Martyrs, David Relton, told him “you’re not going to be a rat-catcher”. He rang round the universities during the clearing process, and secured a place for Andy to study medicine at Manchester University.

It remains a source of pride that he was the first member of his family to go to university, and not only did he graduate in medicine, but he emerged with an “intercalated degree” in psychology.

After university, he did house jobs in medicine and surgery in the Manchester area for a year before returning to the North-East. He applied to do general practice but was rejected and decided instead to try his hand at surgery. It was a change of course that proved to be life-changing.

He initially worked as a senior house officer in Middlesbrough and was inspired by an orthopaedic surgeon called John Anderson. “I watched how he worked, admired his technique, work ethic and charisma. I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he reflects.

At 26, Andy was ready to sit “part one” of the surgical exam and, unusually, passed first time. When he went on to pass “part two” first time – a particularly rare achievement – opportunities began to open up. He embarked on the orthopaedic training scheme and was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in 1999 – by John Anderson, who’d by then risen to Chief of Service.

Andy continued to live in Hartlepool throughout his training, and had to contend with a personal tragedy when his wife, Kathryn, died of breast cancer when their three children – Jessica, Emily and Oliver – were aged six, four and two.

It was a heartbreaking experience that still makes him emotional, and he attributes it to helping to shape his philosophy as a surgeon: “It’s about treating every individual patient in the way you’d like a family member to be treated,” he says.

After he qualified in 1999, he worked as a consultant at Middlesbrough General Hospital, as well as at Nuffield Hospital, at Stockton. By 2010, he’d risen to Chief of Service for Orthopaedics, Trauma and Accident and Emergency at The James Cook University Hospital – the same role his mentor, John Anderson had performed.

For the next eight years, Andy was proud to lead the development of the major trauma centre at the Middlesbrough Hospital – one of only 22 facilities of its type in the country – and he has gone on to make a regional, national and international impact in a range of posts.

His latest mission is acting as clinical lead and chair for the development of the £37m Friarage Surgical Hub, at Northallerton. Delivering elective surgical services for Teesside and North Yorkshire, in eight new theatres on a new site, he describes it as “an exciting and transformational project”.

“Groundwork starts in March, and it’s due for completion in two years, so the challenge is pulling together architects, building specialists and managers to get them talking the same language. The aim is to get good outcomes in surgery with standardisation and quality,” he explains.

Indeed, standardisation of surgical outcomes is the main area of progression he’s seen during his career, and working with the Mako robot at Woodlands Hospital, in Darlington, has transformed results for knee and hip replacements.

Woodlands Hospital – now run by Circle Health Group – is the UK’s largest provider of private healthcare and Andy has been working there since it first opened in 2002.

“Back in 2008-2010, there were large variables in the outcomes, leading to complications with knee and hip replacements, but we have come such a long way since then,” he declares.

The foundations for that change were laid when Andy worked with the Northern Regional Health Authority on the North East Quality Observatory Service, reviewing outcomes for different types of orthopaedic surgery. The standards set have been adopted around the country and modified for different specialties under the heading of “Getting It Right First Time”.

Ten years ago, satisfaction ratings for knee replacements weren’t good enough, with 80 per cent of operations resulting in a good outcome but up to 20 per cent of patients feeling unhappy. The Mako robot has transformed those figures due to its accuracy and reproducibility.

“Instead of using the traditional method of two-dimensional X-rays to plan surgery, the Mako robot uses 3D imaging to plan the surgery within a milimetre of accuracy,” Andy explains.

The Mako robot (Image: Andrew Port)

During his career, he’s now performed around 10,000 hip and knee replacements and the result is that thousands of people are enjoying a better quality of life – playing sport, walking, running, and cycling again.

“On an almost daily basis, there are people full of gratitude, saying ‘you’ve transformed my life’ and that makes my job immensely satisfying,” he says.

Andy now lives in North Yorkshire with his partner, Lisa – a physiotherapist – his 15-year-old daughter, Pixie, and two black Labradors, and he has no plans to retire as he approaches his 60th birthday.

He relaxes by skiing and mountain biking, but is determined to see the Friarage Surgical Hub development through to successful completion, and he has an overriding ambition “to see equality of access for orthopaedic surgery for everyone in Teesside and North Yorkshire with excellent outcomes”.

“You have to make the most of any opportunities and give life your all, whether that be work, family, or health. You only get one shot, so make the most of it,” he adds. “Return kindness and invest in people who are generous and kind to you – move on from those who maintain their own agendas first.”

It’s a poignant summary of the values instilled in him by his parents when he was growing up in Hartlepool, and doing what he does best – fixing things that are broken.

Andy Port Factfile

• 1999: Appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon.

• 2003-2010: Programme Director of Orthopaedic Training in the North East.

• 2006 until present: Examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons since 2006.

• 2010: Chief of Service for Orthopaedics, Trauma and Accident and Emergency at The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

• 2010-2018: Led the development of the major trauma centre at The James Cook University Hospital.

• 2013 to present: Appointed lead on orthopaedic surgical exams and training in Hong Kong and Singapore, and now an examiner assessor for the Royal College of Surgeons.

• 2020: Appointed Chair of Surgery at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

• Held a quality control role for the British Orthopaedic Association, governing surgical standards.

• Sits on the Royal College of Surgeons’ Invited Review panel, which assesses the quality of surgeons, systems, and hospitals.

• Clinical lead and chair for the development of the £37m Friarage Surgical Hub, at Northallerton.

Outpatient appointments are available at James Cook University Hospital, Friarage Hospital Northallerton or Woodlands Hospital Darlington.

To book an appointment with Andrew Port contact Cheryl Holiday on 07855 364475, Cheryl.holiday@ntlworld.com or Cheryl.holliday@nhs.net.  Alternatively, visit circlehealthgroup.co.uk/consultants/andrew-port or topdoctors.co.uk/doctor/andrew-port