UK-based medical device maker Smith+Nephew and orthopaedic clinic Standard Health have teamed up to establish the first Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgery Centre in the UK.
Located in Poole, Dorset, the new orthopaedic ambulatory surgery centre will offer both NHS and private patients access to advanced joint repair and replacement technologies.
The technologies include procedures for rotator cuff repair, ACL reconstruction, and knee and hip replacements.
Standard Health will oversee the site development and operation, while Smith+Nephew will provide its medical technology portfolio.
The centre will handle day and overnight-stay cases, in line with the Ambulatory Surgery Centre model prevalent in the US, where Smith+Nephew is a key partner.
The US ASC model is known for its efficiency, with documented benefits such as streamlined workflows, a 92% patient satisfaction rate, and reduced healthcare costs.
Smith+Nephew global orthopaedics president Craig Gaffin said: “The Standard Health Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgical Centre model will bring the benefits long enjoyed by US patients to those on waiting lists in the UK.
“Our expertise with ASCs and broad portfolio of solutions will ensure that facilities and patients have access to world-class orthopaedic, sports medicine and wound management medical technology to help surgeons deliver an outstanding experience.”
The new centre is set to open in 2025, aiming to serve thousands of patients annually, primarily through NHS referrals.
With over 850,000 people currently waiting for orthopaedic surgery in the UK, the NHS depends on independent providers to meet this demand.
Standard Health plans to open 10 more UK sites in the next three years and 20 by 2030.
Standard Health chief operating officer Matt Byrne said: “Our goal is to help shape and redefine the UK independent care provider model for orthopaedics based on existing successful models and technologies globally, including empowering surgeons as stakeholders.
“This will provide a standard quality of care for patients as well as value for NHS commissioners, which is sustainable long-term.
“The amount of time patients must wait for a procedure in the UK needs to improve. We chose to partner with Smith+Nephew to accelerate the implementation and ultimately help deliver the success of these surgical centres.”
In 2023, Smith+Nephew announced the opening of the purpose-built Smith+Nephew Academy Munich, a new centre for surgical innovation and training.
