THE Great Western Hospital has said it will not be taking on new, non-urgent arthritis patients, due to high demand.

While the hospital has said it will continue to treat existing patients, and those who need urgent care, others will have to travel to Chippenham, Salisbury or Oxfordshire to be seen.

The decision has been taken following an unprecedented increase in the number of patients.

Hospital chiefs say they will continue to treat those in need but by turning away certain categories of patients, it will allow them to maintain a high level of care.

A spokeswoman for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foun-dation Trust said: “There is currently an extremely high demand for rheumatology services at the Great Western Hospital and so a decision has been made with our commissioners to focus on treating existing and new urgent patients for the time being.

“This means that only patients with certain conditions will be referred to GWH until further notice. Other new patients with less urgent conditions will be offered a choice of other local providers by their GP.

“This decision was not taken lightly, however it means that the team can ensure existing and new patients needing urgent care continue to receive safe, high quality care, in a timely manner. We are working closely with our commissioners to consider how we can meet the growing demand.”

However, concerns have been raised about the impact this will have on those who have to travel further afield for treatment.

The Arthritis Care charity says long journeys to other hospitals, combined with different people providing treatment, may have a negative impact on patients.

Siobhain McCurrach, the charity’s area development manager for the South West, said: “Travelling a long distance by car could undo any treatment done as sitting the patient will have been sitting in the car for a long period of time.

“A patient’s GP will also know more about them than a secondary care hospital they have not been to before.

“It is a concern there has been no time limit on how long the they will keep this in place.”

Siobhain says that because of Swindon’s ageing population, a new approach may be needed to tackle cases of arthritis, which affects one in five adults.

“Many places see operations, such has hip or knee replacements, as the best option when they are the most expensive.

“In fact there are often other ways to deal with arthritis at home, which may be far more suitable for a patient and will ease pressure on hospitals.”

Arthritis Care runs a free, confidential helpline for people with the condition. Call 0808 800 4050 between 10am and 4pm on weekdays.