The SPORT-EMPOWER and subsequent WAIT-DATA studies are national collaborative projects addressing the health impacts of prolonged waiting times for hip and knee arthroplasty in the UK. SPORT-EMPOWER, conducted at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, surveyed 97 patients undergoing arthroplasty, highlighting significant declines in physical activity (62%), quality of life, and mental health while awaiting surgery. Only 35% received advice on physical activity, 19% received weight loss support, and anxiety/depression scores worsened significantly. Despite most patients being overweight or obese (88%), only 6% received a structured weight loss plan. This cohort had a mean wait time of 27 months, underscoring systemic delays and inadequate preoperative support.
The WAIT-DATA study builds on these findings, using a UK-wide, multicentre approach to quantify the physical, psychological, and functional consequences of delayed access to surgery. It gathers prospective patient-reported data during admission for arthroplasty, focusing on pain, frailty, opioid use, physical activity, work capacity, and mental health.
Together, these studies aim to inform health policy by identifying critical gaps in perioperative support and advocating for integrated, multidisciplinary prehabilitation models that optimise health and quality of life during extended waits for surgery. Both projects highlight the urgent need for systemic reform in elective orthopaedic care delivery.
Dr Andrew J Hall, PhD, MRCS(Ed), MFSEM(UK), MFST(Ed), is a SCREDS Clinical Lecturer at the University of St Andrews (Scottish Clinical Research Excellence Development Scheme) and a Specialty Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedic (T&O) Surgery. Alongside his T&O training, he is pursuing dual certification in Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) via the CESR pathway, holding roles across elite sport including Team Physician (Heart of Midlothian FC), Match Day Doctor (Scottish Rugby), Sports Medicine Doctor and Research Fellow (DP World Tour Golf), and Committee Member of the UK Faculty of Sport & Exercise Medicine’s Team Care Committee.
As the 2024–25 BASEM Research Fellow, Andrew led a nationwide multicentre study evaluating the multisystem health and quality-of-life impact of hip and knee osteoarthritis. As the 2024–25 BASEM Travelling Fellow, he undertook a year-long Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics Fellowship supported by the UK IOC Medical Research Centre, with clinical placements at Aspetar (Doha), Mediclinic Perform (Dubai), and the Sport Surgery Clinic (Dublin), as well as experience within elite sport environments including the European/DP World Tour (international).
Academically, Dr Hall holds leadership roles as co-Chair of the Scottish Hip Fracture Audit Research Group and Chair of both the SCOTTISH and SCOTnet research networks. He supervises six doctoral students and serves as lead investigator of the MARVEL Project – an ambitious robotic surgery research programme that includes the largest randomised controlled trial in the field to date. He has authored over 50 scientific papers.
A dedicated educator and Member of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers (RCSEd), Dr Hall is a former Chief Registrar at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital. He has completed a Medical Education Fellowship, led a major undergraduate musculoskeletal curriculum redesign, and holds a PgCert in Clinical Education. His education portfolio includes authorship and editorial roles across three textbooks and national-level conference organisation.
Dr Hall’s future clinical and academic practice will focus on Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery with specialist expertise in high-performance sports medicine, contributing at the intersection of elite athlete care, surgical innovation, and medical education.
