Patients offered oral surgery in outpatient unit to cut waiting times

Nation.Cymru staff

Patients waiting for oral surgery in north Wales are being treated in an outpatient unit rather than a hospital operating theatre as part of efforts to reduce waiting times.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has begun carrying out selected oral surgery procedures requiring a general anaesthetic at Tŷ Nerys, a dedicated outpatient facility, instead of using main hospital theatres.

The move applies to carefully selected patients requiring procedures such as difficult tooth extractions, including those with complex medical needs or severe dental anxiety. Patients must meet strict clinical criteria and undergo a pre-operative assessment before being treated.

The health board said using the outpatient unit had reduced the number of operations cancelled because of pressures on acute hospital services, while allowing more patients to be treated.

Natalie Marshall, from Penrhyn Bay, recently underwent wisdom tooth removal at the unit.

She said: “Having my procedure at Tŷ Nerys was a much better experience than I expected. It felt much more relaxed and informal than being on a hospital ward, which can add to any anxiety you already have about treatment.”

Mr Oliver Suckley, a dentist with a special interest in oral surgery, said the initiative was intended to help tackle long waits for treatment.

“We know that patients across North Wales face long waits for oral surgery treatment, and we hope this initiative will play a part in helping to treat those patients who have been waiting the longest sooner,” he said.

“Feedback from patients has been extremely positive since we started carrying out procedures at Tŷ Nerys. The environment is more suitable for many patients and, because we are operating away from the main hospital theatre complex, we have experienced fewer cancellations caused by wider hospital pressures.

“Ultimately, this means more patients receiving the treatment they need sooner while also improving their overall experience.”

The initiative was developed following a review of surgical services and forms part of the health board’s wider efforts to increase capacity for planned care.

Outpatient appointment

The health board said it had reduced the number of patients waiting more than two years for planned treatment by 62.8% over the past year, while the number waiting more than 52 weeks for a first outpatient appointment had fallen by more than 80%.

Further work to reduce waiting times includes the development of the North Wales Surgical Centre and other measures aimed at increasing capacity across a range of specialties.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.