Survey of changes in the provision of vascular surgical services in the Oxford Region over 5 years

Aim This study aimed to examine changes in the provision of vascular services in the Oxford region over 5 years. Methods A questionnaire was sent to all general surgeons in the region asking of their involvement in vascular surgery. Data were obtained from the Department of Health concerning vascular procedures and inpatient codes for each district in the Oxford Region from 1990–1991 to 1994–1995. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) data for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and femoral artery reconstruction were validated against data collected prospectively for West Berkshire. Results Eighteen of 45 surgeons who replied to the questionnaire carried out elective and emergency arterial work. All were members of the Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland (VSS). All but one took part in the general surgical rota. Eight surgeons carried out emergency arterial surgery only; only two of these were members of the VSS. Of 19 surgeons undertaking no arterial surgery, 15 operated on primary and 11 on recurrent varicose veins. The number of arterial reconstructions rose from 20·8 per 1 population to 28 per 1 throughout the study. The greatest increase occurred in districts where a new vascular consultant had been appointed. Similar results were obtained with endovascular procedures. The number of major amputations remained fairly constant at approximately 11 per 1 population. The number of inpatient episodes for arterial disease also rose, from 35·7 to 47·6 per 1. In validating OPCS codes against prospectively collected data, discrepancies for individual years were noted but the annual trend was reflected fairly accurately by the codes. Conclusion There has been an increase in vascular activity in the region, but variations still exist between different districts. © 1998 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd