Changes in Oswestry Hospital Spinal Services
Hundreds of patients from England and Wales suffering from back pain have been waiting up to a year at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) only to be told they do not require specialist treatment. Hospital leaders have acknowledged the need to overhaul the referral system for spinal problems.
Introduction of a New Referral System
An NHS team from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme visited RJAH in January to introduce a new "single point of access" system. This trial, set to launch officially next year, aims to ensure patients receive “the right care at the right place at the right time.”
Rising Referral Numbers and Challenges
- The hospital faces a national trend of increasing referrals, with numbers rising from 4,500 in 2018/19 to 6,802 in 2024/25.
- Out of the referrals, 4,021 are from England and 2,781 from Wales.
- This surge is creating a mismatch between capacity and demand.
Concerns Over Patient Pathways
“What’s really interesting is a 32 per cent discharge rate. That would indicate we’ve got a problem with our pathways when almost a third of our patients actually don’t need to be here.”
Patients often wait around 52 weeks to be seen in the outpatient department, highlighting the strain on resources and effectiveness of current referral processes.
Summary
The hospital is reforming spinal referral pathways to better manage growing patient numbers and reduce unnecessary waits and discharges.
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