Details
About NUFFIELD ORTHOPEDIC CENTER - Orthopedic Surgery Hospital
Welcome to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC)
We are an orthopaedic hospital, providing routine and specialist
orthopaedic and rheumatological services to the people of Oxfordshire.
Specialist services, such as the treatment of bone infection
and bone tumours, and the rehabilitation of those with limb
amputation or congenital deficiency, and those with neurological
disabilities are provided for patients from across the UK and abroad.
Introducing the Trust
The NOC maintains a distinguished medical and nursing tradition
since its beginning in 1872. The tradition of clinical excellence
and reputation for first class patient care continues today
with a team of dedicated staff and consultants working together
to put the care and needs of our patients first. We are an
innovative and friendly hospital providing routine procedures
and a wide range of specialist services:
Orthopaedic Surgery
Rheumatology
Disability Services
Rehabilitation
Metabolic Medicine
Research
Delivering Excellence
The Trust is actively working towards delivering excellence
in everything we do - clinical quality, service efficiency
and patient experience – and we are busy facilitating the
support systems, culture and partnerships to support our hospital community in achieving this.
Teaching
As a teaching hospital trust, the NOC provides a large number
of placements and fellowships for student doctors, nurses
and other healthcare professionals in training, who benefit
from the expertise and experience of some of the most skilled clinicians in the world.
Why Choose the NOC?
Consultants who are recognised as world leaders in their chosen field.
One of the lowest infection rates in the country.
Our research into musculo-skeletal disorders has earned us an international reputation. We now have a new
Research Centre, which houses many of the leading academics and researchers in this field.
Construction of a new £35 million state-of-the-art hospital.
The Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE) provides a wide range of specialist services for people with long-term
conditions and disability, including rehabilitation, neurological conditions, specialist equipment and prosthetic limbs.
Future of the NOC What is the press publicity all about? The
NHS is divided up into ten large areas called Strategic Health
Authorities (SHAs). The job of each SHA is to
oversee all NHS activity in its “patch” to get
the best value for patients for the money being spent.
South Central SHA, who oversee a patch from North Oxfordshire
down to the south coast, has recently circulated a review
of orthopaedic services called the Thames Valley Orthopaedic
Review. This report has reached the media and is attracting
interest because one of its main conclusions is that the NOC
will not be a viable organisation in the future.
What exactly does this report say? The
report reviews how orthopaedic services are provided at each
of the acute Trusts in the Thames Valley area. It considers
how those services will continue into the future, bearing
in mind that a large contract has been signed with an independent
provider, Capio, who run surgical units for routine orthopaedic
work in Banbury and Reading. The report concludes that
the NOC will lose a large proportion of its routine work to
these centres (often called Independent Sector Treatment Centres
or ISTCs). This would cause the NOC to shrink in activity
and size to the point where it could not survive as a separate
organisation. The NOC would then need to merge with
another organisation such as the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust.
Is the NOC going to close? No.
There is no suggestion in the report that the NOC would close.
The report refers to the specialist work the NOC carries out
and suggests this will continue. But the report sees
no future for the NOC as a separate organisation with its
current focus on musculoskeletal and rehabilitation services.
What does this mean for orthopaedic and other services at the NOC site?
It is too early to say. The NOC was already doing work on how to ensure that the services
it provides can continue into the future, under planned changes
to the national funding system. As a Trust we are committed
to ensuring that all our patients continue to have access
to high quality services, but we cannot be sure that all of
these will be provided at the NOC site indefinitely.
Will this affect the treatment I or my family receive?
No. It is “business at usual” at
the NOC and we are all determined that these uncertainties
will not affect the care that you receive. We will continue
to treat all patients who choose, or need, to be referred
to us to the very best of our abilities.
So what is happening next? The NOC is reviewing its future strategy in
partnership with South Central SHA. This work will be carried out over
the next few months and the conclusions are expected in spring
2007. In the meanwhile the SHA has confirmed publicly
that no discussions about merger have been started at this
time. You can read the letter from Mark Britnell here.
Can I read the Thames Valley Orthopaedic Review for myself? Because so many
people have asked to see the report we have placed it on the Trust website together
with accompanying letters and press releases from South Central
SHA and the Trust. You can view these using the associated
links above.
What if I have further questions or comments? You can address questions or
comments to the Chief Executive Officer, Trust Offices or to our Patient and Liaison Service (PALS).
