"[1] The ethos the society is to promote harmony between orthopaedic and plastic surgeons, which derives from its origins immediately after the Second World War during which new methods of treatment of wounded airmen were developed by surgeons such as Patrick Clarkson.

[2] The society was formed as the Second Hand Club in 1956 at the instigation of Graham Stack after the original Hand Club, formed by plastic surgeon Patrick Clarkson in 1952, refused to admit younger surgeons.

[2][3] In the late 1960s it became the British Club for Surgery of the Hand and in 1968 adopted its current name and a formal constitution.

Other notable surgeons to participate were Rainsford Mowlem, J. I. P. James, and John Barron.

[2] The society is recognised as an institution that provides education and training in its field:[4][5]