THEATRE E F F ICI ENCY
Preventing lost time in the operating theatre
Undetected defects with rigid endoscopes can have a major impact on theatre efficiency, patient safety and costs. Colin Helsdown discusses the role of technology in preventing lost theatre time, by ensuring the integrity of these complex devices.
The NHS has been placed into an unprecedented situation both during and following the level of demand from the COVID-19 pandemic and now from the resultant size of the waiting list for treatments and elective surgery. Of those people waiting for interventional treatments, it can be safely assumed that many will include some form of endoscopic procedure. With rigid endoscopes, the expected usage levels are likely to be highest in orthopaedic arthroscopy and laparoscopy procedures, which could be a major proportion of treatments on the current waiting list. NHS operating theatres will be put under immense pressure as the focal point for delivering throughput of patients on the waiting list. It can be expected that the demand for using private healthcare facilities to augment the NHS operating theatres will continue. In respect of endoscopy, this has had a positive impact in the operating theatre – providing reductions in procedure times, reduced exposure to risk for the patient, and the development of new surgical techniques that once required major and often traumatic surgery.
The development of endoscopic procedures over recent years has led to the ‘scope’ being a fundamental device requirement in many procedures from observation, biopsy, through to major surgical procedures across many specialties.
Through the use of endoscope technology, the efficiency of the operating theatre can be seen to have improved in both reduced operating time per patient over previous techniques, and reduced set up times; in some cases leading to opportunity for greater patient throughput.
Although there are no national agreed costings for theatre time, there are figures available which span a wide variance. In
The surgeon’s field of vision is only as good as the rigid scope can deliver. If a surgeon starts a procedure with a scope that has a lens defect or degradation of the adhesive or moisture in the optical system this will have a major impact on the procedure.
SEPTEMBER 2021
2017, NHS Providers stated a cost of £561 per hour and, in the same year, the now closed NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement quoted £1200 per hour. As of 2021, it can be assumed that the true cost remains somewhere between these two figures. This costing, although substantial, is not always a focused cost as it is so variable outside of the fixed costs of the operating theatre or operating department. It is evident that the medical devices and equipment within the operating theatre are going to be put under much demand over the coming period as theatre lists are likely to become longer and delivered over extended periods.
There is, of course, much documentation on ensuring all medical devices and equipment are maintained, in line with regulations, service requirements and protocols. The failure of any piece of equipment or device, during a procedure,
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© Damian Horaiu Sultnoiu
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