An Analysis of Trauma and Elective Orthopaedic Incomes in a UK Hospital: A Rationale for Implementation of Ambulatory Trauma

Introduction In the UK, one-third of orthopaedic departments experience financial losses from surgical interventions, with specialist hospitals experiencing higher deficits due to factors like patient age and injury severity. This study investigates financial modelling and potential changes in care delivery to enhance the regional flow of orthopaedic care throughout the UK, as well as strategies to address this economic disparity. Methods The study analyzed the impact of various orthopaedic subspecialties on departmental income and loss during the previous financial year (April 2023 to April 2024). The goal was to understand how different care models, including both ambulatory (same-day) and non-ambulatory (inpatient) pathways, influence these financial outcomes. The need for non-ambulatory care increases with patient frailty and age; however, the study suggests that treating fitter trauma patients on an outpatient basis could help offset overall orthopaedic care costs. Results In the last financial year, the trust encountered 32088 coded episodes, with 1707 trauma and 1275 elective operations. Despite incentivised weekend lists to reduce waiting lists, the demand for trauma care outweighs that for elective care at a local level. Discussion The government has significantly invested in elective centres designed to perform high-volume, low-risk operations. These initiatives aim to shorten waiting lists and tackle the backlog of orthopaedic care patients that grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisational care delivery is largely shaped by economic drivers mandated through government policy, rather than being primarily guided by clinical needs. Trauma patients frequently struggle to receive urgent care within specified time frames due to insufficient funding, unlike elective procedures, which face politically driven, rather than clinical, time limits. Conclusions Implementing ambulatory trauma care can help reduce costs and enhance hospital profitability. This approach ensures that patient flows align with demand and provides a payment structure that supports younger, working-age patients returning to employment, provided the day-case surgery tariff is sufficient to support the development of regional ambulatory trauma units.