Staff Recognition Awards 2026 finalists: Alpesh Kothari

Congratulations to all teams, individual members of staff, volunteers and fundraisers who were nominated for the OUH Staff Recognition Awards 2026, and thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate.

In total, we received more than 1,900 nominations for this year's awards, which will be held at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on Thursday 18 June.

Ahead of the awards, we wanted to introduce you to some of our finalists. Here, we learn more about Alpesh Kothari, nominated for this year's Award for Learning.

An orthopaedic consultant who has developed and delivered the undergraduate course for several years in Oxford and has inspired many students to develop an interest in orthopaedics, has been nominated for the 'Learning' award.

Alpesh Kothari was nominated following a heartfelt nomination from a colleague who talked about the contributions he has made through his role as the lead for medical students' teaching in Orthopaedics.

In the nomination, Alpesh’s colleague said: "Alpesh is a children's orthopaedic surgeon with a passion for learning and helping others to learn.

"He has needed to be disciplined with using his time, to fit the schedule of the medical school, and with his organisation and delivery of the programme. He has also been good at recruiting resident doctors to develop their own skills in teaching and learning.

"An example of this recently was that he organised a hands-on workshop, after hours, for students who had an interest in surgery, arranging for several workstations for simulated operations involving surgical instruments, supervised by consultants.

"The students really valued the opportunities to develop practical skills in a surgical setting and were grateful that he arranged pizza afterwards.

"Alpesh is a very clear teacher in small groups, lectures and for individuals; he is diligent in arranging good clinical attachments for students and really leads from the front. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge. He produces a regular podcast for the national Society for children's orthopaedics to enable colleagues to stay up to date and provide optimal contemporary care.

"He has also taken the lead role in delivering a National and international Current Concepts Course for children's orthopaedic surgeons in Oxford, to inspire colleagues to learn and develop.

"At the heart of his teaching and conversations, it is clear that Alpesh has a desire to ensure that patients now, and in the future, receive optimal care, and that he can inspire students to want to become excellent surgeons of the future.

"Through his personal teaching, organisation and leadership, Alpesh deserves to be recognised for his commitment to learning."

Alpesh said: "Any recognition, whether from a single colleague or the entire trust, is deeply touching. During my time as a student and resident doctor at OUH, I was inspired by many consultants; I now feel it is my turn to foster strong foundations for future excellence in the field of trauma and orthopaedics."

Professor Andrew Brent, Chief Medical Officer at OUH, said: "A huge congratulations to Alpesh on this wonderful nomination, which is justly deserved and exemplifies the dedication he and so many of our staff bring to the delivery of outstanding clinical education at OUH.

"Alpesh’s commitment to nurturing our resident doctors and the next generation of surgeons is both inspiring and deeply valued by all of us at OUH."

The Award for Learning is for the person or team that consistently helps others in the Trust learn and grow. Good luck to our finalists: Dr Abhisek Ghosh, Katy Mimpress, Dr Adan Taylor and Alpesh Kothari.