New boss to help cut waiting time at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital

Phil Orwin will spend one day a week at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital with a brief to provide assurance on improvement work being undertaken by the hospital. He began his duties earlier this week.

Mr Orwin's appointment follows action taken by NHS Improvement earlier this year, when it published the findings of its investigation into the reporting of referral to treatment times and wider issues around waiting times at the hospital.

Board members of Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust were told yesterday that some improvements have already been made.

The hospital now has just one patient from England who has been waiting more than a year for surgery – compared to 28 in November.

It comes after Monitor launched an investigation into the trust last summer amid concerns too many patients were waiting longer than the 18-week national target for treatment.

Mr Orwin has held numerous operational and board-level posts in a variety of commissioning and provider organisations since 1995, which include clinical commissioning group, health authority, PCT, acute, community, mental health, and ambulance services across London, South Central and the south west and north west of England.

He has been appointed by NHS Improvement – a newly-formed body encompassing health sector regulator Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority.

Mark Brandreth, chief executive at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital, said: "We are committed to delivering significant and rapid improvement in the length of time our patients have to wait to access our services.

"We have put an extensive action plan in place and are grateful for the support we have received from external partners, including NHS Improvement.

"We welcome Phil's appointment and look forward to working with him to make the most of his considerable experience."

He added: "Phil will be able to see the work we have already done and offer his insight. We are confident that he will be able to provide assurance to NHS Improvement that the approach we are taking is delivering improved performance."

Kim Barrow, director of operations at the hospital, said the sole patient who has been waiting more than a year for surgery was a "complex case" that required an "exceptional level of planning".

"We are committed to offering the highest quality and safest treatment to our patients," she said.

"To make the progress we have in such a short space of time is terrific. Great thanks and recognition must go to our staff, whose discretionary effort, team work, dedication to the hospital and commitment to our patients has made this possible."