Dr James Roche

Dr James Roche is a highly accomplished Orthopaedic Surgeon with a special interest in hip and knee surgery. He graduated with distinction from Imperial College School of Medicine, London in 1999, winning the Norman Lake prize for the highest mark in Surgery. His advanced orthopaedic training was completed at Nottingham University Hospital, a renowned centre for orthopaedic trauma, and he was admitted to the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2008.

Dr Roche further refined his expertise during a year as an Arthroplasty Fellow in Perth, where he gained valuable experience in complex joint replacement. He later completed a second fellowship focusing on revision hip and knee replacement. In 2012, he was appointed as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, where he played a key role in transforming hip fracture care into one of the nation’s leading units.

Since moving to Rockhampton in 2016, Dr Roche has pioneered robotic hip and knee replacements in Central Queensland, becoming the first surgeon to use the Mako robotic system in 2020. He performs a high volume of primary and revision hip and knee replacements, arthroscopic knee surgery, foot and ankle procedures, and a broad range of trauma treatments. Dr Roche is also a dedicated educator and researcher, with his work widely cited and presented at prestigious national and international forums.