Mr Clayton studied medicine as an undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh, graduating MB ChB with Honours in 2000. He remained in Edinburgh for basic and higher specialist surgical surgical training in trauma and orthopaedics. He undertook specialist fellowships in foot and ankle and lower limb surgery in Glasgow and Toronto in 2009. In February 2010 he completed his training and took up post in the NHS as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. He now has over ten years of consultant level experience in NHS and private practice.
Mr Clayton treats all conditions of the foot and ankle. He performs the full range of foot and ankle surgery including ankle replacements, hindfoot deformity surgery, ligament reconstructions and arthroscopic ankle surgery using modern techniques. He carries out forefoot deformity correction using techniques which include the scarf osteotomy and minimally invasive (keyhole) surgery (MICA) for bunion correction; these procedures allow rapid post-operative mobilisation without the need for plaster casting. He uses well established surgical techniques as well as modern, cutting edge treatments such as the internal brace for ankle ligament instability and the Cartiva implant for treatment of osteoarthritis of the great toe (hallux rigidus) which he introduced in Scotland in 2016. He also performs general trauma surgery with a specialist interest in complex fractures of the foot and ankle.
Mr Clayton is one of the UK’s leading foot and ankle surgeons. He is a director of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (BOFAS). With BOFAS he has been involved in development of national guidelines for treatment of conditions such as ankle arthritis and bunions. He has a lead role in training the next generation of foot and ankle specialists, running training courses with BOFAS and in Scotland with Foot and Ankle Scotland. He meets frequently with other leading foot and ankle specialists to keep abreast of advances in the field and analyse treatments of common and unusual conditions. He has taken a leading role in developing foot and ankle surgical services in Scotland and across the United Kingdom. He organised and taught on specialist aspects of foot and ankle surgery for trainee surgeons and other health professionals.