Over his illustrious career Dr Read has achieved numerous distinctions and has been recognised by his peers for the research and work he has carried out in his field. These accolades include:

• Registrars prize for the Best paper presented by a registrar at the 1980 S.A. Hand Congress.
• A.O. International Scholarship for Advanced Study of Internal Fixation of Fractures.
• Snaar Viljoen Scholarship for Research into field of Sports Medicine in both 1982 and 1983.
• Beneficiary of an MRC grant for research into ‘The effect of continuous passive movement on the healing of ligaments in a rabbit’s knee’.
• Beneficiary of a Senate Research Committee grant for research into ‘The effect of continuous passive movement on the healing of ligaments in a rabbit’s knee’. 

Dr Read is passionate about new techniques and procedures and spends much of his time travelling the globe teaching his peers through lectures. Over the years Dr Read has presented the following lectureships:

• Invited to be an instructor in the Advanced A.O. course held in Davos, Switzerland on numerous occasions.
• Guest speaker on Uncemented Hips at the John Hopkins University.
• Presentation at the Cleveland clinic regarding continuous passive movement of the knee.
• Presentation and invited speaker on the long-term results of Uncemented Hips in Cologne, Vienna and Zurich.
• International member of the American Arthroplasty Society of the knee and hip.
• Dr Read has attended and participated in the Annual Meetings of the American Orthopaedic Association every year for the past 20+ years.

Dr Read has also participated in international studies on uncemented hips, locking nails and has presented numerous papers both locally and internationallyon uncemented hips.

• Secretary of Southern Transvaal Branch of the Orthopaedic Association (1982 – 1983)
• Sub-Committee of “fees and salaries” of the S.A. Orthopaedic Association.
• Member of the Bone Tumour Registry (1983)
• Senate Committee for Research of Animals (1983)
• Member of the C.S.I.R. working group on research into non-biological biomaterials – 1983.
• Founder member – S.A. Hip Society.
• Founder member – S.A. Arthrocopic Society.
• Founder member of ortho health. Director and chief negotiator for South African Orthopaedic Association. This involves extensive negations with a large number of major health funders.
• South African AO (ASIF representative in South Africa from 1983 to 1990) director and chief negotiator regarding fees.
• President of S.A. Arthroplasty Society (2002 – 2004)
• International member of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
• International member of American Hip Society and frequent faculty member.
• Dr Read is very much involved in presenting instructional courses and other educational programs for the S.A. Hip Society and as such gives frequent presentations and attends all relevant meetings.

Dr Read has been married to Carol for over 40 years and has two children, one of whom is an ophthalmologic surgeon, the other a farmer. Dr Read is an enthusiastic aviator, with over 50 years flying experience. Dr Read is also an enthusiastic outdoors man who enjoys nature golf and travel, both in South Africa and throughout the world.