Specialist tumour service expanded at the Horton

An expanded service for patients with soft tissue and bone tumours is now operating at the Horton General Hospital, providing local residents with faster access to specialist diagnosis and treatment.

The Horton General, part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), has cared for 10 patients since the musculoskeletal interventional service under general anaesthesia started at the end of 2025.

OUH is both a Major Centre and Centre of Excellence for the management of soft tissue and bone tumours in adults and children, caring for patients from across the south of England. The Trust also hosts one of the largest multidisciplinary teams dedicated to the management of these conditions.

The musculoskeletal radiology team care for around 150 people in this patient group who need general anaesthetic each year but, until now, the service was provided at a local private hospital. 

Expanding the service to the Horton General significantly enhances OUH’s ability to deliver timely, specialist care and strengthens the organisation’s high quality imaging capacity. The Trust carries out just under 700,000 imaging procedures each year.

The service provides specialist, image guided procedures under general anaesthesia for patients who cannot tolerate them under local anaesthesia – for example due to discomfort, anxiety, or difficulties with the positioning required for treatment. This approach is particularly important for children and for people with complex needs.

Timely diagnosis and treatment are essential given the nature of tumour growth, the risk of spread, and the pain and mobility issues these conditions can cause. The service is expected to improve patient experience, comfort and safety.

Dr Raj Chari, a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist and Clinical Service Lead at the Horton General, said: "The expansion of this service is a really important step in strengthening the care we can offer to adults and young people with soft tissue and bone tumours.

"These conditions often require rapid, highly specialised investigation, and being able to provide image guided procedures under general anaesthesia at the Horton General ensures patients can access timely specialist care while benefiting from a more comfortable experience."

The team performs image guided biopsies to obtain precise tissue samples for diagnosis, along with sclerotherapy to shrink benign bone lesions and reduce pain. The service also provides a minimally invasive heat-based treatment to destroy small areas of tumour tissue, helping to ease symptoms and support personalised care.

Felicity Taylor-Drewe, Chief Operating Officer at OUH, said: "This service is a fantastic example of how we are expanding specialist care across our hospital sites to benefit patients and families. Providing these procedures under general anaesthesia at the Horton General will make a real difference to people who need timely, expert tumour diagnosis and treatment.

"It reflects excellent collaborative working across teams and supports our commitment to high‑quality, patient‑centred care."