'We need more knee and hip patients for NHS operations'
BBCAn NHS site set up to replace knees and hips has called for more patients to come forward.
The Hampshire Orthopaedic Centre (HOC) in Winchester said it has the capacity to more than double the number of elective or planned operations it has performed so far.
Based on the site of the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, the centre wants more referrals from across the county and the Isle of Wight.
The HOC opened in September 2025 and has cared for about 1,200 people so far.
Peter Haywood, 76, has osteoarthritis leaving him suffering considerable pain and stiffness.
He was referred to Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in September 2025.
Talking before his operation he said waiting for a new hip had "been frustrating, but then again with the way things are, things don't happen overnight so you have to have the patience and wait".
The HOC is a dedicated centre focused on planned orthopaedic surgery and has been set-up for elective hip and knee replacement surgery.
Every winter operations like these are postponed due to pressures on services and beds. So the HOC was established to stop that happening and reduce the number of people on the waiting list.
The NHS said operations at the centre are protected from emergency pressures and can continue even when urgent and emergency care services are busy.
Toby Briant-Evans, an orthopaedic consultant at the HOC, said: 'I'm really pleased to say we have been able to do that.
"It has been a perennial problem in the NHS nationally that every winter tools are downed and we lose our wards.
"We've now been open for a for a year and last winter we did not lose any lists or any beds due to pressures within our trust.
About 1,200 people like Haywood have been cared for at the centre so far but staff have said they can do more than twice that number.
While the orthopaedic centre is based in Winchester and is part of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust it can take patients from across the county and the Isle of Wight.
Briant-Evans said: "The direction of travel within the NHS is to look at things on a regional basis rather than as an individual hospital.
"I appreciate there have been some really frustrating experiences for people who have waited a long time but I think in the future those experiences will be a lot fewer and we should be able to offer more timely surgery for more patients in our region."
The centre has the capacity to do many more operations, something that is practically unheard of in the NHS.
Part of the challenge is getting the word out to GPs from across the region so that they can help refer patients.
People can also self-refer to musculoskeletal services at the centre through what is know as the NHS Patient Choice Process.
Once they are under musculoskeletal services, they can discuss with a clinician whether they need surgery and where to go. Clinicians can refer patients to several providers including the HOC.
James Lowell, Chief Commissioning Officer for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said: "The Hampshire Orthopaedic Centre is a fantastic facility, providing high-quality specialist orthopaedic care and an important additional option for patients across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
"Patient choice is an important part of the NHS, and where the centre is a suitable option for a patient, we want people and referring clinicians to be aware of the opportunity to access care there."
The aim is to bring waiting times down to four months from a referral.
The NHS said one of the big successes the centre has had is getting about 40% of patients home on the same day as their operation.
The trust said on average people are now waiting five weeks less for knee and hip operations.
This is part of a national programme to deliver surgical hubs, designed to increase elective capacity.
Meanwhile, Haywood is at home in Basingstoke recovering from his operation.
He said he feels "fantastic" and that the operation was "absolute magic, it has changed my life".
He added that he was looking forward riding his motorbikes and has started walking his dog again.