Shropshire orthopaedic hospital set to slash waiting times

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital will work with Monitor to speed up the process of providing patients with routine care, helping to cut waiting times and improve running operations.

Following an investigation, the health regulator found a series of problems within the trust that affected its ability to deliver services efficiently. Monitor will work to support the trust by enabling improvements such as the accuracy of reported data on waiting times and developing and implementing an effective and robust recovery time.

The trust will create a plan to improve the way the hospital is managed, including the appointment of an Improvement Director, who is expected to provide expertise and advice to the trust as it works to fix the issues.

Frances Shattock, Regional Director at Monitor, said: “We are taking action at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust because patients are waiting too long for treatment and because the trust needs to improve how it is run. We recognise the trust is working to make the right improvements, but we have stepped in to ensure oversight is in place to deliver quick and effective change.

“By taking action, we can help the trust make the changes it needs to provide quality care in a timely way to patients.”