Meeting, Document

Orthopaedic summit: 8 August 2022

This is the summary report from the orthopaedic ministerial summit.

First published: 14 August 2023

Last updated: 14 August 2023

This file may not be fully accessible.

In this page

The following actions arose from the summit:

Welsh Government (WG) to arrange urgent meeting with BCU regarding Abergele
WG to arrange urgent meeting with Swansea Bay regarding Morriston never list???
WG to clarify policy around prioritisation and treat-in-turn
WG to write to all health boards confirming that our expectation is that elective orthopaedic beds are ring-fenced this and every winter
recovery team to review and monitor health board plans
WG to confirm treat in turn, day case and activity expectations as well as the targets

These actions have all been completed.

The Minister for Health and Social Services was very clear in the meeting that the priorities for orthopaedics were as follows:

implement the Getting it Right First Time proposals and the national pathways and that this should be followed up with health boards
treat in turn – ensure the longest waiters are treated
maximise day case activity – officials are monitoring this monthly
focus on those waiting over 104 weeks to eliminate these by Spring 2023

The following progress has been noted already:

Deputy Chief Medical Officer has written to health boards to outline the position with regards to long waiting patients and that those waiting over 104 weeks should be placed in the same category as urgent patients when booking appointments.
Progress has been seen in the number of open pathways waiting over 104 weeks, with the number at the end of July showing 17,408, the lowest it has been since December 2021. We expect to see further progress as health boards continue to implement and increase treat in turn rates, with the longest waiting patients being seen.
For orthopaedics, latest management data shows that at an all-Wales level, treat-in-turn rate was 40% - this compares to 26% for other specialities. So a marked improvement since the summit. BCU has the best treat-in-turn rate for orthopaedic outpatients, with 55% of patients coming from the cohort.

Inpatient and day case activity by health board (%)
		April	May	June	July	August
ACUHB	Day case	65	58	87	60	96
	Inpatient	72	87	74	78	126
	Combined	68	72	80	69	108
BCUHB	Day case	52	58	50	46	76
	Inpatient	54	75	73	70	54
	Combined	53	66	60	57	65
C&VUHB	Day case	32	48	33	47	56
	Inpatient	42	62	59	58	59
	Combined	36	54	45	51	57
CTMUHB	Day case	46	62	61	33	44
	Inpatient	55	52	58	46	55
	Combined	50	57	59	39	49
HDUHB	Day case	46	40	60	72	124
	Inpatient	29	28	32	29	48
	Combined	38	35	47	51	88
PtHB	Day case	32	48	57	105	55
	Inpatient	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Combined	32	48	57	105	55
SBUHB	Day case	84	67	81	95	103
	Inpatient	52	74	63	87	69
	Combined	68	70	72	92	88
Wales	Day case	51	54	61	57	79
	Inpatient	52	64	61	60	70
	Combined	52	59	61	58	75

Data is liable to be revised.

Hywel Dda has additional capacity at Prince Philip hospital. There are two new day theatres that should provide up to 4,600 additional procedures per year. The new theatres are scheduled to start working in mid-October.
Swansea Bay UHB is rearranging orthopaedic services within the health board so that the majority of routine orthopaedics will be carried out at Neath Port Talbot hospital, leaving the more complex work for Morriston hospital.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg are centralising inpatient orthopaedic work at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, leaving Prince Charles site for more day case activity.
Plans are being developed for additional capacity in North Wales, potentially Abergele.

This file may not be fully accessible.