An orthopaedic surgeon in Shepton Mallet who is also an active author and researcher, has had his books ranked as among the best in the world according to BookAuthority, the world's leading site for book recommendations by thought leaders.

Firas Arnaout is an orthopaedic surgeon at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet, formerly the Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre.

His book Concise Orthopaedic Notes is among "the eight best new orthopaedic books to read in 2021" and the e-version among the top seven.

Another of his books, The Concise Orthopaedic Revision Notes, is ranked in "the 100 best orthopaedic e-books of all time".

His books are hailed as "must-reads" for medical students, surgical trainees and those developing their surgical careers.

Firas has an interest in orthopaedic educational development, is a regular convenor for educational events at Orthopaedic Research UK.

He has been published in international peer-reviewed journals and has presented his work at both national and international orthopaedic meetings.

Firas said: "I am delighted and humbled that my books have been identified as world leaders by BookAuthority.

"I am committed to ensuring that those starting out in and developing their surgical careers have access to the best information and education resources."

Andrew Oakerbee, hospital director at Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet, said: "Firas's success as an author stands testament to his extraordinary knowledge, ability and experience as an orthopaedic surgeon and educator.

"We were delighted to welcome him to our team last year and his appointment is an example of our commitment to recruiting the very best people to the benefit of our patients."

The total number of consultant surgeons with an orthopaedic specialty at the hospital is eight. Practice Plus Group Hospital Shepton Mallet is the first hospital of its kind to be rated as Outstanding across the board by the Care Quality Commission.

The national Patient Reported Outcome Measures reported by the Health and Social Care Information Centre recently identified the hospital as top in the country for hip replacements, and in the top five per cent for knee replacements.