THEATRE EFFICIENCIES
Theatre optimisation to tackle the backlog
In 2020, millions of surgeries were cancelled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing this backlog effectively has become a worldwide priority. In England alone, nearly five million people were waiting for routine operations and procedures in March 2021.1
Tim Bryant discusses how technology could help support hospitals tackle the backlog going forward.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, huge numbers of elective surgeries have been cancelled or postponed and NHS Trusts now need to effectively and efficiently reduce this backlog, described as a crisis in itself with significant care and treatment deficits existing nationwide. In March 2021, almost 5 million people in England were waiting for routine operations and procedures – the highest number since records began in 2007. In a single year, the number of people waiting more than 52 weeks to start hospital treatment rose from 2,097 (March 2020) to over 400,000 (March 2021).2 A study conducted by the University of Birmingham and published in the British Journal of Surgery predicts the number of cancelled and postponed surgeries in the UK to be as high as 500,000. The expectation is that it would take the NHS eleven months to clear the backlog if elective surgery activity levels could reach the ambitious target of 120% of pre-COVID rates.3
It is clear that
in order to reduce these waiting lists, the NHS will need to increase capacity and throughput to reach activity levels beyond those ever previously achieved. Additionally, it is important to consider
that, in many areas, we are asking the same staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to step up once again, not only in delivering the vaccination programme but also to help recover backlogs. Our NHS workforce must continue to be supported in working through the significant challenge ahead.4
In one recent consultancy project, an optimal modelled scenario demonstrated an increase in efficiency of 35.7% compared to the Trust’s current situation. In a more generalised picture, Getinge’s modelling suggests Trusts could reduce patient waiting times by an average of 12% through theatre optimisation.
AUGUST 2021
How can we support the NHS in reducing the elective surgery backlog?
Operating theatre optimisation is critical in maximising throughput in order to achieve the activity levels required to reduce waiting list numbers. By deploying an operating theatre management solution – for staff, patients and equipment – flow can be efficiently ensured throughout the department, enabling the best use of resources at all times. To assist hospitals in optimising their operating theatre schedule, Getinge investigated how it could utilise both data and its extensive knowledge of surgery planning, to support hospitals with a proactive surgical prioritisation planning tool. The result was the innovative Torin OptimalQ solution, developed in record time as a direct response to the COVID-19 crisis. “With the backlog of surgeries, we had
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