Oryon Academy Spinal Symposium 2026: Leading Conversations in Spinal Health, MRI Imaging and MSK Care

Oryon Academy recently welcomed healthcare professionals from across London and the UK to the Oryon Academy Spinal Symposium at the Royal Society of Medicine, bringing together leading spinal surgeons, radiologists, sports medicine specialists, chiropractors and musculoskeletal practitioners for a full day of CPD-focused education, discussion and networking.

The symposium was introduced by Oryon founder and CEO Les Clarke, who opened the event by speaking about Oryon’s vision for improving access to high-quality diagnostic imaging, strengthening practitioner relationships and supporting better patient outcomes through education and collaboration.

The day was chaired by Mr Bob Chatterjee, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, who also delivered two thought-provoking sessions during the programme.

Despite significant transport disruption across London, the symposium achieved an exceptional turnout, with almost 130 attendees joining healthcare professionals from across multiple disciplines for discussions focused on spinal imaging, low back pain, rehabilitation, referral pathways and advances in musculoskeletal medicine.

The event reflected Oryon Academy’s wider commitment to delivering clinically relevant education designed to improve referral confidence, support faster diagnosis and strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration across healthcare.

Expert Speakers and Topics Discussed

The Oryon Academy Spinal Symposium featured an extensive programme of expert-led talks covering spinal surgery, musculoskeletal imaging, regenerative medicine, sports medicine and pain management.

Symposium Speaker Line-Up

• Mr Caspar Aylott, Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon
  • Spinal problems, biomechanics, and a few surprises
• Mr Michael Hess, Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon
  • Lumbosacral radiculopathy and when escalation is appropriate
• Mr Dominic Cheetham & Mr Dan Hughes, Chiropractors
  • The case for considering weight-bearing imaging in the understanding and diagnosis of low back pain
• Mr Bob Chatterjee, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Neck pain: Tips & Tricks for diagnosis and treatment options
• Mr John Sutcliffe, Consultant Spinal Neurosurgeon
  • The clinical use of MR spectroscopy in a busy spinal clinic – is this a back pain scan?
• Mr Mo Akmal, Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon
  • Spinal Day Surgery – Advances in surgical techniques and benefits
• Dr Keith Bush, Consultant Orthopaedic & Sports Physician
  • Prolotherapy – Regenerative soft tissue injection
• Dr Nikos G. Malliaropoulos, Consultant in Sport & Exercise Medicine
  • Centralisation Phenomenon as a Clinical & Prognostic Tool in Mechanical Low Back Pain
• Mr Rajiv Bajekal, Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon
  • Spinal Health – Osteoporosis and Lifestyle Medicine
• Dr Nigel Kellow, Consultant in Spinal and Pain Medicine
  • Emerging techniques in the management of benign and malignant MSK pathology
• Dr Na’eem Ahmed, Oryon Clinical Director and Consultant Radiologist
  • How Oryon can support your imaging needs for a successful clinical practice
• Mr Bob Chatterjee, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Belief, God, Psychology, Conspiracy – life lessons in Spine

The diversity of topics reflected the growing complexity of spinal healthcare and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in supporting diagnosis, rehabilitation and patient management. To watch any of the talks head to our events page.

Key Themes from the Symposium

Across the day, several important themes emerged that are increasingly relevant within both NHS and private healthcare pathways:

• Faster access to MRI imaging and reporting
• The role of imaging in spinal diagnosis
• Low back pain assessment and escalation pathways
• Weight-bearing imaging and biomechanical understanding
• Regenerative medicine and prolotherapy
• Lifestyle medicine and spinal health
• Advances in minimally invasive spinal surgery
• Sports medicine approaches to back pain
• Pain management innovations
• Multidisciplinary spinal care
• Referral decision-making for clinicians
• Improving patient confidence and outcomes

The symposium also highlighted the growing demand for high-quality musculoskeletal imaging and faster diagnostic pathways, particularly as healthcare professionals navigate increasing patient demand and NHS waiting pressures.

Supporting Practitioners Through Education and Imaging

A key part of the event focused on how diagnostic imaging providers can better support practitioners through rapid access, high-quality reporting and streamlined referral pathways.

During his session, Dr Na’eem Ahmed, Oryon’s Clinical Director and Consultant Radiologist, discussed how imaging providers can support successful clinical practice through:

• Fast MRI appointments
• Expert radiologist reporting
• Immediate portal access to images
• Reports delivered within one working day
• Clear communication with referrers
• Improved patient pathways

These themes align closely with Oryon’s wider operational and clinician engagement strategy focused on strengthening referral relationships, improving imaging access and supporting confidence-led clinical decision making.

Oryon Academy and the Future of CPD

The symposium forms part of Oryon Academy’s broader strategy to build a long-term educational platform for healthcare professionals through:

• CPD events
• Specialist webinars
• Consultant interviews
• Referral education
• Insight-led healthcare content
• Practical imaging guidance
• Multidisciplinary discussion forums

Oryon Academy’s educational strategy is designed to support healthcare professionals not only with clinical insight, but also with confidence in referral decisions, patient communication and imaging pathways.

The event also reinforced Oryon’s wider approach to content, education and thought leadership within private diagnostic imaging and healthcare.

Closing the Event

The symposium concluded with closing remarks from Will Corderoy, Practitioner Relationship Manager at Oryon, who wrapped up the event by thanking speakers, attendees and partners for contributing to a highly collaborative and engaging day focused on advancing spinal healthcare education.

The overwhelmingly positive response to the symposium demonstrated the appetite for clinically relevant, multidisciplinary education within spinal and musculoskeletal healthcare, and reinforced Oryon Academy’s ambition to continue developing meaningful CPD opportunities for healthcare professionals across the UK.

Continue the Conversation with Oryon Academy

The Oryon Academy Spinal Symposium is part of Oryon’s ongoing commitment to supporting healthcare professionals through practical education, clinical insight and collaborative discussion.

To stay informed about future CPD events, webinars and educational resources, visit the Oryon Academy page and sign up for updates.

Healthcare professionals can also:

• Explore Oryon’s imaging services and referral support
• Speak to the team about MRI, ultrasound, DXA and specialist imaging pathways
• Access fast appointments and expert radiology reporting
• Learn more about upcoming educational content and video series

Coming Soon

Look out for the upcoming Oryon Academy Spinal Symposium video series, featuring speaker highlights, clinical insights and key discussions from the event.

For referral support, imaging enquiries or to discuss Oryon’s modalities and services, contact Will Corderoy, Practitioner Relationship Manager.