Horton General Hospital - NHS

23/10/2025

Huge congratulations to our hip fracture team colleagues at the Horton General Hospital, who have once again received national recognition for delivering some of the best patient outcomes in the UK 🎉

Heralded for the thirteenth year running, the Horton General Hospital has been ranked in the top five hospitals nationally for achieving the Best Practice Tariff – a quality-based benchmark for hip fracture care.

Well done and a massive thanks to all involved – you can read the full story in the comments below.

29/09/2025

Some really great news for the Horton General Hospital ⬇️

We’re really pleased to announce that work has begun to redevelop the maternity outpatient clinic at the Horton General Hospital.

The project, which will take approximately 10 weeks to complete, represents a significant investment in facilities for expectant mothers and their families, and will enhance the clinic’s capacity to deliver safe, high-quality care.

The £115,000 redevelopment will include:

• Two brand-new clinic rooms
• A redeveloped clinic room incorporating scanning facilities
• Upgraded bathroom facilities, including a new accessible toilet
• A new midwifery station in the waiting area, improving visibility, support, and communication
• Full redecoration of the clinic area
• Improved handwashing facilities in every clinic room.

These enhancements will also enable the introduction of three new high-risk obstetric clinics each week at the Horton, delivered by specialist teams from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. These are expected to start in the new year.

During the period of work, clinics will continue to run as planned and the project team will aim to keep noise and disruption to a minimum.

🗣️ Milica Redfearn, Director of Midwifery at OUH, said: "We are delighted to be investing in the future of maternity care at the Horton. These upgrades will allow us to offer an improved environment for patients and staff, while also expanding the range of specialist care we can provide locally.

🗣️ “We are grateful to colleagues at BOB ICB for their generous donation of a new ultrasound machine, which will support the delivery of high-quality, personalised care for women attending the clinic."

🗣️ Yvonne Christley, Chief Nursing Officer at OUH, said: “This is fantastic news for mothers and families in Banbury, and demonstrates our commitment to investment at the Horton.
“By offering these improved facilities and additional clinics, we will be able to offer expert care closer to home for local families in addition to the excellent care provided by the staff in our midwifery-led unit.”

We expect the project to be finished in December 2025.

30/05/2025

From Monday 2 June to Thursday 17 July, the Children’s lift at the Horton will be out of service for essential replacement works.

✅ Alternative routes will be clearly signposted
📞 Need help? Call 01295 229087 8am-4pm, or 01295 229039 out of hours for assistance

This upgrade will improve reliability and reduce costs.

Thank you for your patience.

24/04/2025

Say hello to our Staff Recognition Awards 2025 finalists!

Congratulations and good luck to all those nominated, and thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate.

There are 10 categories in total, six of which are linked to our Trust values.

Winners will be announced at an event on Friday 6 June.

🔗 https://orlo.uk/4SwOr

19/03/2025

A new screening test that will pick up pre-eclampsia sooner and could lead to healthier babies and pregnancies has been launched here at OUH.

All pregnant women are now offered the test when they attend their 12-week ultrasound scan at the John Radcliffe or Horton General hospitals.

Women deemed to be at a higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia are offered a small dose of aspirin every night, which can markedly reduce their risk of developing the condition.

Previously, signs and symptoms of pre-eclampsia would be picked up during routine antenatal appointments. This new test will pick up health risks much sooner.

🗣 Dr Christos Ioannou, a Consultant in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, said: “This new approach will help prevent pre-eclampsia impacting so many women and families and ensure those who need extra treatment can get the care they need sooner.”

🗣 Kate, a midwife working at OUH, is due to give birth to her first baby in the summer and was one of the first to benefit from the new test. She described the pathway as "simple, effective, and non-invasive", adding that it "provides additional reassurance or timely access to extra input and care. She said: "I found it reassuring to have the option of extra screening. It was good to know that other factors that can complicate pregnancy are now being checked for at an early stage.”

Full details 👉 www.ouh.nhs.uk/news/article.aspx?id=2207&returnurl=/default.aspx&pi=0

ℹ Pre-eclampsia, a complication during pregnancy that causes some women to have high blood pressure and protein in their urine, adversely affects thousands of women and their babies every year. It can lead to small birth weight babies, organ damage, and can be life threatening for mother and baby.

24/01/2025

Radio Horton has introduced two wireless radios into departments in the Horton General Hospital, allowing more patients and staff to benefit from its unique blend of health and wellbeing programming and broadcasts.

The station, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in July 2024, has donated radios to the Emergency Department (A&E) and the Rowan Ambulatory Unit in a bid to reach more listeners. Additional radios will be installed throughout Horton General Hospital in 2025, thanks to ongoing fundraising efforts.

The radios connect to the hospital's existing WiFi network, broadcasting Radio Horton to patients and staff. With traditional bedside entertainment systems being phased out, and the charity's new focus on supporting health and wellbeing, Radio Horton aims to assist the NHS by airing more messages, relevant interviews and feature programmes.

Ann Dunn, Chair of Radio Horton, said: "We're thrilled to have installed the first two radios at the Horton General Hospital. This kicks off the beginning of an exciting project to reach and benefit even more patients and staff. We have more radios ready and waiting to be installed and are raising funds to purchase additional units. We welcome and are extremely grateful for any support we receive."

Funding for the internet radios has been made possible through sponsorships and grants from Banbury Lions Club, SE-Law Solicitors, the John Lewis Partnership, and the generosity of the public, who have supported Radio Horton through recent collections and events.

Staff at the Rowan Ambulatory Unit (RAU), one of the first departments to receive a new radio, have been enjoying the broadcasts and often take part in the daily 10 Today exercise classes, which are broadcast on Radio Horton at 8.00am and 2.30pm. Jayne Brown, Unit Manager at the RAU, said: "The wireless radio has provided great entertainment for both patients and staff. The variety of music is really popular, and the ability to request songs is an added bonus!"

In recent years, Radio Horton has become a valuable resource for staff wellbeing, helping to improve morale.

Amanda Taylor, a Radiology Assistant at the Horton, often listens to the request programmes. Amanda shared: "As I listened, I thought about the patients in the hospital who might also be tuning in, and I hoped they found comfort in the music, local updates, and news. I've been working at the Horton for 21 years, and I find the programmes really moving. I always try to tune in when I can."

As Radio Horton continues to expand its service across Horton General Hospital and beyond, the need for volunteers to support the station is increasingly important. "It's not just about being behind the mic", quips Dunn: "We have a variety of roles on our operational committee and are always seeking assistance with fundraising and community events."

Anyone interested in joining Banbury's longest-running radio station is encouraged to visit: https://orlo.uk/4JTca

or email: getinvolved@radiohorton.co.uk

Pictured: John Couppletich presents Jayne Brown (Rowan Ambulatory Unit Manager) and staff at the RAU with a WiFi Radio (pictured on the shelf behind).

17/12/2024

We were delighted to welcome around 30 of our wonderful Horton General Hospital volunteers to a festive Christmas lunch yesterday, Monday 16 December.

The Christmas buffet took place in the Training Room at the Horton, and Trust Chair Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery and Chief People Officer Terry Roberts joined Bridget Daly and the Voluntary Services Team in thanking our volunteers for all they do to make our patients' experience of the hospital the best it can be.

Bridget said:

“Our annual Volunteers’ Lunch at the Horton is an event we really look forward to – it’s lovely to see so many of our volunteers together in one place, hear their stories and thank them in person for all of their hard work.”

We would like to wish all our volunteers a Happy Christmas and the very best for the New Year.

11/12/2024

Some fantastic news about the Horton General Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre ⬇️

Teams at the Horton General Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre have been awarded gold and silver awards respectively and been named as National Joint Registry (NJR) Quality Data Providers after successfully completing a national data quality audit programme.

The NJR monitors the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder joint replacement procedures to support work to improve the clinical outcomes for the benefit of patients, but also to provide feedback on surgical performance to orthopaedic clinicians and joint replacement implant manufacturers. The registry collects high quality orthopaedic data in order to support patient safety, standards in quality of care, and overall value in joint replacement surgery. The 'NJR Quality Data Provider' certificate scheme was introduced to offer hospitals a blueprint for reaching high quality standards relating to patient safety and to reward those who have met the registry’s high targets in the achievement of the quality of the data collected.

The NJR Data Quality Audit compares the number of joint replacement procedures submitted to the registry to the number carried out and recorded in the local hospital Patient Administration System. The audit ensures that the NJR is collecting and reporting upon the most complete, accurate data possible across all hospitals performing joint replacement operations, including the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and the Horton General Hospital.

🗣️ Graham Sleat, Divisional Medical Director of Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, Trauma, Specialist Surgery, Children's and Neonates (NOTSSCaN) at OUH, said: "Improving patient safety is of the upmost importance and something our teams take very seriously. We fully support the National Joint Registry's work in facilitating improvement in clinical outcomes for the benefit of joint replacement patients and we're delighted to be awarded as an 'NJR Quality Data Provider' at two of our hospitals."

🗣️ Abtin Alvand, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and NJR Lead at OUH, said: "We would like to thank the entire NJR team for their hard work in moving this work forward – it's great to see our teams' efforts to improve patient care acknowledged this way."

🗣️ Andrew Price, Clinical Director for Trauma and Orthopaedics at OUH, said: "Congratulations to our teams at both the Horton General Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre for their impressive achievement, which is testament to their ongoing commitment to providing excellent patient care."

Congratulations to all involved! 💙

11/12/2024

Thank you for the generous donations!

🎅🤶🎄🎁

15/11/2024

Horton General Hospital Housekeeping Team recruiting now!

Our housekeepers play a crucial role in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness throughout the Horton General Hospital, and support our nurses with the delivery of meals and drinks to patients.

If you are looking for a varied job in a lively, supportive and professional environment, and you have cleaning experience, we would love to hear from you!

We can offer both full- and part-time roles, so if you have a 'can-do' attitude and enjoy working in a team, please visit our website.

https://orlo.uk/h7Gcl

13/11/2024

Tickets are going fast! Should be a fantastic evening.

NHS Horton Power Choir Christmas Concert
Thursday 19 December 2024 7.00pm (bar opens 6.00pm)
St Mary's Church, Banbury

Carols accompanied by an orchestra; modern Christmas songs to sing along to, and special guests.

The concert is free to attend - please contact Jason Rigby.

Email: jason.rigby@ouh.nhs.uk / thepowerchoir@gmail.com

01/11/2024

Patients attending the Horton General Hospital for hip fracture treatment can rest assured they're getting some of the best care as the Hip Fracture Team has once again been named one of the top hospitals in the country for the twelfth year running.

The hospital, which is part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, met all of its best practice criteria in nearly 85 percent of patients, while the average nationally is just under 48 percent - putting the team in the top five of national tables for this.

The latest figures were published in the annual National Hip Fracture Audit, which compared the performance of 174 hospitals in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2023.

The national report showed that:

- 84.8 percent of patients achieved all best practice tariff requirements (national average of 47.6 percent)
- 99.3 percent of patients received a prompt assessment by an orthogeriatrician (national average of 87 percent)
- 86.1 percent of patients received prompt surgery (national average of 58 percent)
- 98 percent of patients didn't develop pressure ulcers during their hospital stay (national average of just over 92.5 percent)
- 99 percent of our patients were assessed by a physiotherapist the day after surgery (national average of 97.4 percent).

🗣️ Sam Anand, Lead Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Horton, said: "We always look forward to this annual review of our hip fracture at the Horton, because the results consistently show the commitment and expertise of our team.

🗣️ "Hip fractures are very common, and they're often suffered by elderly or frail people who need quick care. We're so pleased we can help them in such an efficient and effective way, year after year."

🗣️ Felicity Taylor Drewe, Chief Operating Officer at OUH, said: "It is wonderful to see over a decade of consistently excellent results from our teams. Their patients truly benefit from such expert and rapid surgery. These results are testament to the commitment, care, and compassion shown by the entire team.

🗣️ "I'm delighted to see that patients being looked after by our team at the Horton continue to receive such excellent care. The team are committed to continuing this strong performance and also constantly striving for improvement to ensure that this excellent care continues and evolves.”

For full results, please visit the National Hip Fracture Database website:

https://orlo.uk/UrbdW

Huge congratulations to all involved 💙