Waiting times for spinal surgery consultation

​Request ​792789399

I would like to know the waiting time both routine and urgent for spinal surgery consultations. Who is accountable for reviewing referrals made a year ago triaged as routine in order to be sure that the category of routine is still appropriate and not putting the patient at risk of harm. Thirdly, who are we contracted with in the U.K. for spinal surgery.

Response

There are currently 245 patients waiting for spinal surgery consultations, including 15 patients who have been triaged as Urgent and 42 patients who have been triaged as Soon. All patients have recently been re-triaged to ensure they have an up-to-date MRI, which helps streamline the pathway and ensures consultations are clinically appropriate. Urgent and Soon patients are prioritised and offered the earliest available appointments based on clinical need.

Waiting times for all patients – particularly Routine cases – are dependent on the visiting spinal team’s clinic dates and available capacity. The next confirmed visit is scheduled for March 2026, with further visits planned for April, May, and June 2026. As capacity for these clinics is confirmed, this will determine how quickly patients can be booked, with priority continuing to be given to those with the greatest clinical need.

The spinal pathway operates as a multi-disciplinary team model; patients may be reviewed by the Spinal Assessment Service, the Pain Management Team, Radiology, the Orthopaedic Team, and the visiting Spinal Team. All referrals are triaged by a Senior Spinal Physiotherapist who allocates each patient to the most appropriate service within the pathway. Patients may also be seen by multiple teams concurrently to ensure comprehensive assessment and management.

Clinical priority is central to the pathway; emergency and urgent referrals are prioritised, ensuring that patients with red flag symptoms, acute neurological compromise, or time-critical conditions are assessed rapidly by the appropriate specialist team. Routine cases are managed according to clinical need and pathway capacity, with the aim of providing timely and co-ordinated care for all patients.

If patients feel that their symptoms are deteriorating while they wait, it is recommended that they contact their GP for reassessment. Should their clinical condition warrant it, the GP can request that the appointment be expedited to ensure timely review and intervention.

Elective activity is contracted to Guy’s and St Thomas’, and emergency activity is contracted to Southampton.