A SURGEON at Stanmore's Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has been made an OBE for his work in helping to progress medical professionals' innovative ideas.

Andy Goldberg, 40, a specialist in the foot and ankle reconstruction unit at the hospital in Brockley Hill, was made an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours.

The consultant orthopaedic surgeon founded Medical Futures, a series of awards that allow clinicians and entrepreneurs to pitch healthcare ideas to a Dragons' Den-style panel of judges.

It was while recovering from a car crash in 2001, in which he sustained a back injury requiring several operations, that Dr Goldberg had time to pursue ideas of his own.

He spent six months meeting and speaking with some the most successful innovators of our time - from Nobel Laureates to inventors of heart valves - and discovered that, all too often, a doctor's good idea can take years to be developed into a medical benefit.

"I recruited a team of people to help run Medical Futures, while I concentrated on clinical commitments," he said. "During the last 10 years, Medical Futures has gone from strength to strength and has run events that have enabled thousands of clinicians to learn the steps necessary to progress their ideas.

"The Medical Futures Innovation Awards have bestowed more than 40 awards since it began and more than £80million has been raised as investment or grants by the winners.

"Several have gone on to become very successful businesses or products that are now on the market and are changing patients' lives."

On being made an OBE, he said: "I strongly feel that it belongs to all the brilliant teams of people I have worked with over the last 10 years; such recognition makes all the hard work worthwhile."

He added: "At the end of the day, while I am passionate about helping enable others' ideas. I remain dedicated to patient care."

Dr Goldberg also sits on the Health Innovation Council for the Department of Health.