Shake-up at Oswestry Hospital Spinal Services
Hundreds of patients from England and Wales dealing with back pain have been waiting for up to a year at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH), only to be told they do not require specialist treatment.
Referral System Overhaul Underway
Hospital leaders have been informed that the entire referral process for spinal issues is being restructured to address these delays and inefficiencies.
An NHS national squad from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme visited RJAH in January to introduce a new "single point of access" system.
This system is currently in trials before a planned launch next year, aiming to ensure patients receive “the right care at the right place at the right time.”
Rising Demand and Capacity Challenges
At a recent board meeting on November 5, officials highlighted a national trend of increasing hospital referrals. RJAH has experienced a surge from 4,500 referrals in 2018/19 to 6,802 in 2024/25, with 4,021 coming from England and 2,781 from Wales.
This growth shows no signs of slowing, creating a significant imbalance between demand and available capacity.
High Discharge Rate Indicates Pathway Issues
“What’s really interesting is a 32 per cent discharge rate,” an official told the meeting. “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 are currently waiting around 52 weeks to be seen in the outpatients department.
Summary
The review and trial of a new referral system at RJAH aim to tackle long waits and improve care efficiency for spinal patients amid growing demand.