BOURNEMOUTH consultant Charles Willis-Owen, has been included on the 2018 “Top Doctors List” for his work with robotic-assisted knee surgery and stem-cell work.

The only consultant outside of London, to receive this accolade, Mr Willis-Owen, had to pass a four-step screening process, including nominations from other leading clinicians, independent auditing by the Adecco Medical and Science physician-led research team, endorsement by a clinical leader who is a specialist in their field and finally, a face-to-face interview.

The Top Doctors list says it features the top five to 10 per cent of medics internationally who have been identified as good doctors.

Mr Willis-Owen, who works at Nuffield Health Bournemouth, is one of a few surgeons in the UK providing robotic knee surgery which achieves greater accuracy in procedure.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have my hard work recognised," he said. "I was contacted out of the blue with the news and it’s truly an honour to be chosen by such a prestigious panel.”

David McNair, Hospital Director at Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, said: “We’re thrilled that Charles has been awarded this accolade. ‘Top Doctors’ only features the most prestigious specialists in the world, so it’s a tremendous achievement.”