Prof David Warwick

Professor David Warwick is an internationally recognised Consultant Hand Surgeon and a leading authority in his field. He holds the highest available qualification, the  European Diploma of Hand Surgery and offers private consultations in Southampton, Winchester, Lymington and Jersey. His NHS practice is based at University Hospital Southampton, where he has delivered specialist care for complex hand and wrist conditions since 1998.

Renowned for his compassionate, patient-centred approach, Professor Warwick takes time to understand each individual’s goals and ensures that every treatment option is carefully explained—from safe, non-surgical therapies to advanced surgical procedures. All treatments offered are established, evidence-based and non-experimental, enabling patients to make informed and confident decisions.

Professor Warwick’s clinical expertise spans the full spectrum of hand and wrist surgery. He has particular interests in Dupuytren’s disease, thumb-base pain, distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) disorders, joint replacement, and the management of complex hand trauma. In addition to his NHS work, he serves as Visiting Hand Surgeon to the States of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and as Orthopaedic Surgeon to Southampton Football Club.

His academic and professional accomplishments are extensive. Awarded an Honorary Professorship by the University of Southampton in 2013, he has also received a Bronze Clinical Excellence Award for outstanding NHS service. He holds two doctorates—one from the University of Bristol for pioneering research into thrombosis in orthopaedics, and a second from the University of Southampton (2020) for his work on Dupuytren’s disease. His contributions to orthopaedic science have been recognised through numerous honours, including the Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons (1998), the Gold Medal in the European Diploma of Hand Surgery (2004), and Life Membership of the International Dupuytren Society (2018).

A committed researcher and educator, Professor Warwick has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, authored 36 book chapters, and edited 12 major textbooks—including the Oxford Handbook of Hand Surgery and multiple editions of Apley & Solomon’s System of Orthopaedics & Trauma. With an H-index of 34, his work has significantly shaped modern hand and wrist surgery. He has examined 12 PhD theses, contributed to several NICE advisory panels, and delivered over 90 invited international lectures.

Throughout his career, Professor Warwick has held numerous leadership roles in the UK and overseas. He served as President of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2020, having previously chaired its Education Committee, Instructional Course Committee and served as Honorary Secretary. He has also been Honorary President of the British Association of Hand Therapists, Chair of the British Orthopaedic Association Medicolegal Committee, and Chair of the Training Committee of the Federation of European Hand Surgery Societies. Internationally, he is President-Elect of the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand and continues to represent British hand surgery within global organisations.

A dedicated teacher and examiner, Professor Warwick has been invited to examine internationally, has served as Visiting Professor to several national surgical societies, and sits on the editorial boards of both the Journal of Hand Surgery (European Edition) and the Bone and Joint Journal.