OUH-led Acute Spinal Cord Injury Inreach team revolutionises care across South-East

An innovative project led by the Oxford Centre for Enablement at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) as part of a nationally led spinal cord injury transformation programme, is transforming care for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), improving outcomes and reducing hospital stays.

Implemented and delivered through collaboration with the SE Regional Specialised Commissioning Team, the initiative – Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI) Inreach Team, delivers specialist SCI care directly to patients in OUH Major Trauma Centre (MTC), addressing longstanding challenges faced by people with complex medical needs who traditionally experienced delayed access to specialist SCI rehabilitation.

Previously, SCI patients often faced extended hospital stays and limited specialist input due to restrictive referral pathways. Now, thanks to the ASCI initiative, patients benefit from early intervention and co-ordinated, multidisciplinary care across the region.

A 15-month prospective study involving 134 patients found that the ASCI model significantly improved outcomes across all SCI patient groups. Key findings include:
•    A reduction in average hospital length of stay from 28 days to 22 days
•    A 5% increase in patients discharged directly home
•    Notable improvements in functional outcomes and patient confidence in self-care.

The initiative also includes a dedicated SCI learning programme that provides support and access to education for healthcare professionals across the region, with over 200 attendees across nine sessions. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with 88.9% of participants reporting a positive impact on their clinical practice, and 81.3% noting specific improvements in bowel and bladder management practices.

Patient feedback has highlighted the team’s compassion, knowledge, and commitment, with people describing the service as "amazing", "extremely supportive", and "life-changing".

The multidisciplinary ASCI team includes a consultant in rehabilitation medicine, an advanced clinical practitioner, a specialist dietitian, and a clinical psychologist.

Dr Ahmad Saif, OUH Consultant in Rehabilitation medicine and lead for the ASCI team, said: "This initiative sets a new standard for inclusive, high-quality spinal cord injury care – ensuring every patient receives the right support, at the right time. It demonstrates the impact of early specialist involvement and collaborative workforce planning in improving outcomes and reducing time in hospital."

Dr Anton Pick, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine and Clinical Lead at the Oxford Centre for Enablement, said: "This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through innovation, compassion, and partnership working. The Acute SCI Inreach Team has helped reshape spinal injury care across our region.

"Huge thanks to our dedicated OUH colleagues and partners at Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, the National Spinal Injuries Centre, NHS England, and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, whose collaboration has made this progress possible."

Professor Andrew Brent, Chief Medical Officer of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This project is a great example of how innovation can improve quality of care and patient experience while at the same time reducing healthcare costs and freeing up specialist resources to look after more patients. My thanks go to the whole team for continuing to drive improvements that make such a difference to our patients."

In the picture (from left): Kavita Biggin (Dietitian), Jennifer Burrows (SCI Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner), Dr Ahmad Saif (Consultant and Clinical lead ASCI team) and Dr Rosie Powell Davies (Clinical Psychologist)