Personal Profile
Professor Peter Cnudde is the Clinical Lead for the National Joint Register (NJR) at the Hywel Dda University Health Board and the clinical co-ordinator of the Mid and West Wales division of the NJR. He is also an educational and clinical supervisor for trainees, extended scope physiotherapists and Specialist Nurses. He studied Medicine at Leuven University (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium) and graduated in 1995 with honours.
Professor Cnudde started his Orthopaedic and Trauma training during his final year of medical school and was immediately accepted for the Leuven Orthopaedic rotation. Following his basic surgical training at Roeselare (Belgium) he subsequently studied at Exeter (UK), Leuven, Bruges and Leuven (Belgium).
Professor Cnudde was awarded the certificate of completion of specialist training in July 2001 and was then awarded the title of Specialist in Orthopaedics and Traumatology. He then returned to Bruges to take up a fellowship in adult reconstruction at St Lucas Hospital with Prof J. Victor (now UZ Gent- Belgium). During this year he gained further training in primary, complex primary and revision knee and hip surgery and was also part of the consultant trauma rota.
In August 2002 Professor Cnudde returned briefly to the UK, spending 5 months in Cornwall as a locum consultant in Trauma and Orthopaedics before leaving for the Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle, USA, to take up a second fellowship. He was accepted on the GMC specialist Register in October 2002. Professor Cnudde was appointed consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon by the Hywel Dda Health Board in March 2003.
Under his leadership and stewardship Prince Philip Hospital (PPH) became an elective orthopaedic unit and a successful arthroplasty unit was established. The principles of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) were introduced and Prince Philip Hospital started performing revision hip and knee operations. The outcomes of joint replacements there have been recognised as excellent by the NJR, and the unit he set up has been earmarked as the centre for elective surgery for West Wales by the Prof Briggs “Getting It Right First Time” (GIRFT) report. The second GIRFT report (2022) has highlighted the outstanding results of his unit in PPH.
Professor Cnudde has been commended by his colleagues and his patients for his work ethos, his technical skills and his bedside manner, as well as for the way he puts patient care at the heart of all decision-making. In 2015 he completed a postgraduate certificate in Clinical Leadership at the University of Wales, Trinity St. David's. In 2018 he successfully defended his PhD in Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy of Gothenburg University (Sweden) under the mentorship of Prof Malchau (Harvard, Boston, USA & GU, Gothenburg, Sweden), Prof Kärrholm (GU, Gothenburg, Sweden), Assoc Prof Ola Rolfson (GU, Gothenburg, Sweden) and Prof John Timperley (Exeter University, Exeter, UK).
His research project was focussed on longitudinal outcomes following total hip replacement. Besides a busy and rewarding clinical practice, Professor Cnudde is still active in the research field of arthroplasty, outcome measurements and register studies. Professor Cnudde regularly attends national and international meetings and has published his scientific work in peer-reviewed journals. For his work he was awarded the prestigious Rothman-Ranawat North American Travelling Fellowship and present his experiences at leading units such as Mayo Clinic, Hospital for Special Surgery, the Rothman Institute, the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute, OrthoCarolina and others.
He is currently working towards a Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) with the School of Management at Swansea University on a full scholarship from the Welsh Government. The project will research the integration of the Value-Based Health and Care model within the Welsh NHS.
Professor Cnudde was awarded an Honorary Professor appointment in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science at Swansea University.
What Professor Cnudde's patients say about him:
Patient Google Review 2023
I was told by the NHS (Wales) that I was in need of a hip and knee replacement. The waiting time for the hip replacement (HR) was about 3 years and only after this was done and waiting a further six weeks, I could go on the waiting list for a knee replacement (KR); under present constraints in six years time.
I decided to get my HR done at Werndale Hospital and had my first consultation with Mr. Cnudde on 6th Feb 2023 and he operated on me on the 10th March. The operation exceeded my expectations, there was very little pain, I took paracetamol for two weeks, primarily because I was told to do so. I spent two night in the hospital and was pretty mobile within two weeks and could drive after six weeks. My hip now feels as good as it was 30 years ago and I've forgotten the operation ever took place. At the post-operation consultation the hip and healed very well and I had a very good range of motion. Although 78 yrs old, I exercised 3 times a week before the operation and was diligent in exercising afterwards and I believe this contributed, together with Mr.Cnudde's skill, to a very successful operation.
The staff at Werndale were cheerful, professional and nothing was too much trouble. I will certainly go back for my KR and will feel very confident in Mr.Cnudde's hands.
