Theatre efficiency
Optimising workflows with digital technologies
In the wake of elective surgery backlogs and workforce shortages, the imperative to optimise theatre operations has never been more urgent. To overcome systemic inefficiencies, Dries Vanbiervliet argues that healthcare providers must adopt digital tools that enable real-time visibility across theatre, endoscopy, and sterile services.
Providing surgical care is one of the most resource-intensive and strategically important services in any hospital. Operating theatres consume a significant share of budgets and demand the highest levels of coordination, precision, and efficiency to function optimally. Yet, many organisations are locked into inefficient operational workflows that erode productivity, strain clinical staff, and have the potential to compromise patient care. At the heart of these inefficiencies is a
lack of operational transparency between departments and between sites, particularly around equipment management. Clinical teams often work in a siloed environment from sterile services and logistics where vital information – such as the availability of critical resources including the status of surgical trays or location of required consumables – is either inaccurate, incomplete, or entirely inaccessible. This opacity forces theatre and endoscopy teams into reactive modes of working, often leading to delays, last-minute changes, and even cancellations that cascade through meticulously
planned scheduling. As hospitals and surgical hubs across the UK face mounting pressures, from elective surgery backlogs to financial constraints and workforce shortages, the imperative to optimise theatre operations has never been more urgent. Embracing digital tools that bridge the gap between clinical and operational workflows can enable healthcare providers to unlock substantial efficiency gains, reclaim skilled clinical time, and improve both patient and staff experiences.
How disjointed services strain the surgical workforce Theatres, Endoscopy suites, and Sterile Services are each critical to surgical care delivery, but they are often managed as distinct operational units. While each function has its own performance targets and KPIs, their success is deeply interdependent. A delay in sterile instrument or scope turnaround, for example, can delay a theatre list. A breakdown in communication between sterile services, logistics, and the theatre team can result in
missing or incomplete trays, necessitating rescheduling, tray hunts, or risky improvisation. Without smart digital workflows, theatre
staff are often left to manually track instrument trays, physically verify equipment availability, or rely heavily on disruptive communication channels. These issues consume valuable time from highly skilled clinical professionals and divert attention from direct patient care. The result is not just financially impractical, but a widespread and chronic misallocation of the NHS’s most valuable resource: its people. Moreover, the burden of inefficiency doesn’t
fall evenly. Theatre managers must juggle competing pressures of throughput and safety. Clinical staff experience stress, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction as they’re pulled away from care delivery to troubleshoot operational failures. Patients, meanwhile, may experience delays, cancellations, or suboptimal care.
The NHS mandate for operational efficiency The NHS has recognised the need to improve productivity and reduce variation in surgical services. National programmes such as Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT), Model Health System, and the Elective Recovery Plan underscore the central role of theatre efficiency in improving hospital performance and getting a handle on the elective backlog. However, while these programmes provide strategic direction, national benchmarking, and offers of support, the operational tools required to execute this vision are often lacking. Many Trusts still rely on outdated or paper-based systems to manage critical perioperative workflows, which hinders real-time decision-making and collaborative planning. Operational guidance will be further shaped
by the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, which is built on digital transformation, operational sustainability, and enabling earlier intervention. Surgical services, including diagnostics, will be a key focus, with perioperative efficiency positioned
August 2025 I
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