REPORTS that NHS waiting times for hip and knee replacements are on the increase and surgery is being rationed have caused a national outcry but an 'under-used' hospital in Devizes says it is able to deal with patients within weeks.

Devizes NHS Treatment Centre in Marshall Road offers a wide range of services to day patients and those such as hip replacements that need in-patient care can go to its sister hospital Emersons Green near Bristol.

Newly appointed hospital director Patricia Warwick, who is in charge of both centres, is keen for people across Wiltshire to realise they can ask their GPs to refer them to the Devizes centre on the NHS and appointment times to see consultants and to have surgery carried is quick and flexible.

She said: "If people need a hip replacement they can see a consultant in Devizes, have the surgery at Emersons Green and then have all their follow up appointments back in Devizes.

"We are able to be flexible about appointments and to fit around people's work. It is very rare for any of our surgery to be cancelled as we do not deal with emergencies so everything is planned."

Mrs Warwick has arrived at the centre at a time of expansion of services and just as the Care Quality Commission has rated it good for all services and its endoscopy service has just gained national recognition.

The inspectors found that patient feedback was positive for care and treatment, and that patients were kept informed and played a proactive role in their treatment.

The report said: "The treatment provided was patient centred and all staff was caring, kind and compassionate; referral targets at the centre were being met consistently; patients were given a choice of suitable appointments and treatment was cancelled or delayed only when necessary."

The centre provides a range of elective surgery and diagnostic services to NHS patients. Treatment areas include orthopaedics, general surgery, endoscopy, gastroenterology, gynaecology, urology, hip and knee procedures, foot and ankle procedures, hand procedures, diagnostic imaging, ENT, ophthalmology and oral surgery.

Mrs Warwick said: “My thanks and congratulations go to our teams who have, together, achieved this very pleasing result. What it means for local patients is that they can be confident of some of the best treatment and care in the area. The result is a reflection of the high standards of care and professionalism displayed by colleagues every day.

“Devizes and Emersons Green NHS Treatment Centres are excellent hospitals, staffed by skilled, dedicated teams with excellent patient experience at the heart of everything they do."

She said that she hoped that when the planned urgent care centre is built next door that its services such as X-ray could be shared.

She said: "We look forward to working with them. It would make sense for us to share equipment such as X-ray."