Medico-Legal Committee

Sameer is a Consultant at Bedfordshire Hopsital NHS trust since 2009. He completed fellowships in New Zealand, Australia and Liverpool. His clinical practice covers all aspects of trauma and there is a specialist interest in upper limb disorders. Sameer is a member of the Expert Witness and institute, and committee member for the BMA Private Practicing Committee. 

He has been involved in Medicolegal work since 2008, and has delivered training to solicitors. 

Mr Shyam Kumar is a Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon based at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. He has completed an LLM in Medical Law & Ethics with Merit. His other roles include -Member of Medicolegal committee of British Orthopaedic Association, Clinical Assessor-PPA (Formerly NCAS) and Member of Appointments Advisory Committee, Royal College of Surgeons of England. His name has been nominated recently to the Lord Chancellor be a member on the Cumbria & Lancashire Magistrates’ Recruitment Advisory Committee.

Bertie Leigh used to be Senior Partner at Hempsons.  He has a very extensive experience in medical negligence and in the law related to professional regulation. He has held numerous senior rolls in the legal world, but also has had a close relationship with surgery and orthopaedics. He was the chairman of NCEPOD for 6 years and a non executive director of the RNOH at Stanmore. He is an Honourary Fellow of three Royal Colleges. He is closely interested in the issues that orthopaedic surgeons face on a day to day basis.

He is particularly interested in issues related to medical ethics, consent and training.

Otto von Arx is a spinal surgeon in Bath. He is an established medico-legal expert specialising in personal injury and negligence instructions both for claimants and defendants. He advises the GMC on  fitness to practice instructions.

Mr Oliver Townsend is the current BOTA President (2024-25). He is an ST6 trainee in Wessex Deanery, where he also competed his Foundation and Core Training. 

Oliver graduated from Guy's, King's & St Thomas' School of Medicine from the Graduate & Professional Entry Programme (2011-2015), having previously been awarded a BSc in Economics from The London School of Economics (2007-2010).

His clinical interests are in trauma and hand surgery. He has held a number of leadership roles with BOTA, ASiT and BMA UKJDC. He is passionate about teaching and training, having previously taught A-level economics and later completed a PGCME from Cardiff University (2018).