Suspended staff return to Oswestry's Orthopaedic Hospital

Three members of staff are returning to work at Oswestry's Orthopaedic Hospital after they were suspended on unrelated allegations. Confidential investigations were launched last month which workers said had upset morale.

Today a spokesman for the hospital said those investigations were now at an end.

Ruth Tyrrell, associate director of human resources at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust, said: "Following the conclusion of investigations, all three members of staff have now returned, or are in the process of returning to work."

The hospital has not said which departments the staff work in or the nature of the inquiries.

At the time of the suspensions Miss Tyrrell said: "As a hospital, we are sometimes required to undertake confidential investigations - these can be a result of complaints from patients or issues raised internally, and good governance requires that we investigate thoroughly. As part of the process of investigation it may be necessary to suspend an individual so that investigations can take place."

The Orthopaedic is about to launch a major test of stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis.

The year-long trial could be the first step towards radical new treatments that avoid the need for joint replacement surgery.

Up to 70 people with established knee osteoarthritis will take part in the study. The trial is part of a £500,000 five-year research programme.

l Pioneers — See Page 19