Mr John McKinley

Professional statement

Mr John McKinley is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 15 years of experience in the field of foot and ankle surgery. He is based in Edinburgh.

He performs a full range of foot and ankle procedures, including ankle replacement surgery, achilles tendon surgery, ankle stabilisation, ankle arthroscopy and minimally invasive bunion surgery. He was one of the pioneers in the use of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of foot and ankle pathologies. In addition, he has particular expertise in the management of sporting injuries, regularly treating players from the Scottish Rugby Union, Scottish Premiership football clubs, dancers from the Scottish Ballet and athletes from the Scottish Institute of Sport.

Mr McKinley qualified from the University of Dundee in 1994 and completed his surgical and orthopaedic training in Edinburgh. He went on to complete further specialist training in Melbourne with one of Australia’s top foot and ankle surgeons before returning to Scotland. He was appointed as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 2007. Mr McKinley was the first consultant in Scotland to be appointed as a specialist foot and ankle surgeon.

Mr McKinley has been closely involved in the development of foot and ankle services in Scotland. He helped establish ‘Foot and Ankle Scotland’, a multidisciplinary group of surgeons, physiotherapists, podiatrists, orthotists and other healthcare professionals. The society meet regularly to further education and improve patient care.

Mr McKinley is a member of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and the European Foot and Ankle Society. He is also a member of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers, and regularly teaches on national and international courses.

He is the clinical lead for Foot and Ankle Services in Edinburgh, is chair of a committee at the Royal College of Surgeons and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer. He established the University of Edinburgh's ChM in Trauma and Orthopaedics, a surgical postgraduate course delivered in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons, which Mr McKinley also leads as Programme Director.

Alongside his NHS work at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Mr McKinley currently sees patients at Spire Murrayfield Hospital and The Edinburgh Clinic.