More good news for trauma patients at the Horton
13/02/2019
This article is more than five years old.
Trauma patients in the north of the county can expect to see even more improvements at the Horton General Hospital.
Building on the success of the award-winning hip fracture team, a new consultant has joined the trauma team to help provide more services and carry out more operations.
Mr Graham Sleat started working at the Horton General Hospital in January 2019 to broaden the range of trauma operations on offer. A fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon, he has a particular interest in lower limb injuries like complex fractures and dislocations around the knee.
Previously based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Mr Sleat will also be on hand to provide total hip replacements, in addition to operating on people with other trauma injuries such as broken limbs or dislocated joints.
Mr Sleat said: "I'm really pleased to be based at the Horton. My previous experience at the John Radcliffe Hospital will allow me to enable closer working between the two trauma departments - ultimately leading to more timely surgery for patients.
"Trauma injuries require prompt treatment, and by offering services closer to home it means people in the north of the county don't have to travel as far for their surgery - making life a lot easier when you have a broken hip or leg. Hip fractures are very common - there were nearly 66,000 in the UK last year, and they're often suffered by elderly or frail people who need rapid care."
Mr Sleat will also be further developing the weekly Acute Knee Injury clinic at the Horton General Hospital, and will also be leading the development of the Horton's educational programme for registrars in Trauma and Orthopaedics.
Two additional trauma nurses are currently being trained ahead of joining the team to further increase capacity for trauma patients.
In 2018 the hip fracture team at the Horton was named as one of the top five in the country for the sixth year running. The hospital reached all eight of its best practice targets in nearly 90 percent of patients, far surpassing the national average of 57 percent.