Shake-up at Oswestry hospital spinal services as figures reveal patients face long waits only to be discharged

Shake-up at Oswestry Hospital Spinal Services

Hundreds of patients from England and Wales with back pain have been waiting up to a year at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) before being told they do not require specialist treatment.

Referral System Overhaul

Hospital leaders have been informed that the current referral process for spinal problems is undergoing a major review. This follows a visit in January from an NHS team under the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme.

The team introduced a new “single point of access” system, which is currently being trialled. The goal is to ensure patients receive “the right care at the right place at the right time” when the system launches next year.

Increasing Demand and Capacity Issues

At a board meeting on November 5, it was highlighted that the rise in hospital referrals is a national challenge. RJAH has seen referrals climb sharply from 4,500 in 2018/19 to 6,802 in 2024/25, including 4,021 from England and 2,781 from Wales.

The growing demand has created a significant imbalance between available capacity and patient needs.

Concerns on Patient Pathways

“What’s really interesting is a 32 per cent discharge rate,” an official stated. “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.”

She also noted patients are waiting “around 52 weeks” to be seen in the outpatient department.

Summary

The RJAH is working to refine its referral and treatment pathways to reduce long waits and ensure patients receive appropriate spinal care promptly.

Author’s summary: The hospital faces rising demand and long waits for spinal patients, prompting a system overhaul to improve care efficiency and reduce unnecessary referrals.

Shropshire Star — 2025-11-10