Success for first hernia 'super clinics'
18/02/2025
Clinics were run at the Churchill Hospital
More than 400 patients attended outpatient appointments as part of two hernia 'super clinics' to help cut patient waiting times at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH).
Consultants, resident doctors, health support workers, and admin staff at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford have so far hosted two sessions, held over weekends, to provide initial surgical outpatient appointments for patients with symptomatic hernias.
The General Surgical team, which, as a service, had increasing wait times for initial outpatient appointments, saw 170 patients at a clinic in November 2024 and a further 250 people in January 2025.
Patients were either reassured and discharged back to their GP, or came away from the appointment with a treatment plan in place.
The 'super clinics' are designed to provide rapid consultations, ensuring that patients receive timely and efficient care.
Giles Bond-Smith, Clinical Director of General Surgery in the Surgery, Women's and Oncology (SuWOn) Division at OUH, said: "We are delighted with the result of these first clinics, which have helped us shorten patient wait times and make best use of resources that were otherwise not used on the weekends.
"We are working on a plan to build on the learnings and continue with this 'super clinic' model going forwards."
The clinics received positive feedback from patients, particularly for the convenience of weekend appointments, which help avoid work disruptions and offer better parking accessibility.
Felicity Taylor-Drewe, Chief Operating Officer at OUH, said: "We are thrilled with the success of these initial hernia 'super clinics,' which are a testament to our commitment to providing high-quality care and reducing waiting times.
"Thank you to all colleagues involved for their hard work and dedication to delivering compassionate excellence at OUH.
"We look forward to potentially running more of these clinics as we explore opportunities to expand the initiative to other specialties."