An additional surgeon has been recruited within the orthopaedic service to increase operating capacity from 44 weeks of the year to all 52 weeks.
An overseas tertiary centre due to start providing additional on-island support to the orthopaedic spinal service next month.
It comes after the orthopaedic service was identified as one of the areas with patients waiting the longest for an outpatient appointment, as well as the most patients waiting over one year for elective inpatient procedures.
According to a report due to be presented to the Health Advisory Board at its meeting next week, a total of 61 patients have now been waiting over one year for elective inpatient procedures. This figure includes those who have self-deferred for surgery due to other commitments.
“All urgent and cancer cases take priority over routine elective procedures, which does have an impact on the capacity to operate on routine general surgery patients,” the report said.
In an attempt to reduce wait times with the orthopaedic service, an additional surgeon has been recruited.
This will create a five-person rota, which will allow orthopaedic operations to be carried out over 52 weeks of the year instead of the current 44 weeks.
“This will ensure capacity does not dip at times of annual leave meaning an increase throughput of routine orthopaedic patients receiving their treatment,” the report added.
Orthopaedics is a medical specialty focused on the musculoskeletal system – the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves – that allows movement.
Common orthopaedic surgical procedures include joint replacements in the hip, knee, or shoulder.