Spinal service in Yeovil supports over 300 patients in first year

The spinal service at Yeovil Hospital is growing from strength to strength, with over 300 patients seen by the team in its first year.

The introduction of the spinal outpatient clinic in May 2025, marked the first time in a generation that patients have been able to access spinal care from Yeovil Hospital. The service is run by consultant surgeon, Mr Alex Goubran, and takes place every Wednesday in the hospital’s general outpatients department.

Each week, Mr Goubran combines a range of clinical duties, from attending the hospital’s regular trauma and orthopaedic meeting, to conducting ward rounds for patients with spinal conditions, and running the outpatient clinic.

So far, Mr Goubran and the team have run almost 40 clinics, and seen even more patients on ward rounds, as well as providing outpatient care.

Mr Goubran says that being able to run a spinal service across both acute hospitals in Somerset is a real game changer.

“Our spinal service is proving really popular with our patients from Yeovil and the surrounding area,” he says. “Many people told us they were surprised and relieved at being able to access this care much closer to home.

“We always try to ensure that patients referred from the Yeovil area can have the majority of their appointments at their local hospital where possible, which has made a real difference to their experience.

“We’re covering more ground, improving how we review outpatients, while making care more accessible for local people.”

Mr Goubran adds that this may only be the start, as there are ambitions to begin offering spinal surgery at Yeovil Hospital in the future.

He adds: “While all spinal operations in Somerset currently take place at Musgrove Park Hospital, we’d ideally love to expand the service at Yeovil in the future — potentially in an operating suite or theatre, as well as facilities for spinal injections.

“We want to thank colleagues at Yeovil Hospital for being so welcoming to us, especially fellow consultant Mr Matt Hall, department manager Helen Murray and senior manager Cara O’Keefe, all of whom have been very supportive.”