Theatre efficiency
l Working groups should be created within hospital Trusts to establish new protocols and ways of working based on best practice organisational improvements to elective care departments. This could include supporting measures, technologies and processes that have been demonstrated to drive organisational and operating efficiency, and the working groups should be driven forward by Trust leaders.
l Guidelines on shared decision making should be developed to ensure greater access to acute surgery, with further consideration given to greater patient choice and participation.
l New guidelines should be established to assess and prepare patients in primary care settings, to support surgical teams to adjust elective care waiting lists in a way that is reflective of patient need.
l The Government should consider implementing a programme to establish dedicated day surgery units and teams.
l A national NHS Task and Finish group should be established to explore the potential for greater implementation of value-based procurement models in reducing the elective backlog (e.g. initiatives to reduce surgical site infections such as warming blankets).
l Standardisation of elective care processes should be undertaken at a regional level to allow intra-Trust collaboration in reducing elective care numbers. QIPs could provide a framework to achieve this outcome.
l Surgical skills training and re-acclimatisation programmes should be established to ensure that staff returning to elective teams from critical care are supported in a professional and personal capacity.
l The NHS should undertake a strategic review of training and development needs for NHS staff working in elective care departments, outlining programmes, which can be supported by industry partners.
It is now more important than ever to reduce waiting lists if we want patients to have the best possible experience, while safeguarding the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. Collaboration between the system and industry has, in the past, proved to be quite fruitful in delivering this mission.
at
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ health/nhs-england-waiting-list-record-
high-b2374526.html
2. NHS England (2023). Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times Data 2022-23. Available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/ statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting- times/rtt-data-2023-24/#Jun23
3. NHS England (2023). NHS cuts longest waits and speeds-up response times. Available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/05/nhs- cuts-longest-waits-and-speeds-up-response- times/ [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
4. Centre for Perioperative Care (2020). CPOC Publishes Major evidence review on the “Impact of perioperative care”. Available at:
https://cpoc.org.uk/cpoc- publishes-major-evidence-review-impact- perioperative-care. [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
5. NICE guideline [NG125] (2019). Surgical site infections: prevention and treatment. Available at:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng125 [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
6. Getting It Right First Time (2019). GIRFT SSI National Survey. Available at: https://
gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2017/08/SSI-Report-GIRFT-APRIL19e- FINAL.pdf [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
7. Northumbria NHS Trust. Focus on inequalities as key part of tackling backlog. 2021. Available at:
https://www.northumbria.
nhs.uk/media-centre/news-and-blogs/ news-stories/focus-inequalities-key-part- tacklingbacklog#3d429f05 [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
CSJ If you are interested in reading Mölnlycke’s
full report, visit:
https://www.molnlycke.co.uk/ campaigns/ors/recovering-elective-care/
References 1. The Independent (2023). NHS waiting list in England hits record 7.5 million. Available
8. Greiling M (2010). A multinational case study to evaluate and quantify time-saving by using custom procedure trays for operating room efficiency. Poster presentation at the 23rd Congress of EAHM, Zürich, Switzerland, 9-10 Sep 2010.
9. Rosenkilde C, Vamosi M, Lauridsen JT, Hasfeldt D (2017). Efficacy of prewarming with a self-warming blanket for the prevention of
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unintended perioperative hypothermia in patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty. Journal of Peri. Anesthesia Nursing; 32(5): 419- 428.
10. NHS Providers (2020). The State of the NHS Provider Sector. 2020. Available at: https://
nhsproviders.org/the-state-of-the- nhsprovider-sector-2020 [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
11. The Royal College of Psychiatrists (2021). Written evidence WBR0031. Available at:
https://committees.parliament.uk/ writtenevidence/11010/pdf/ [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
12. News (2023). 1 in 7 NHS workers looking for work outside the NHS – more than at height of COVID, report finds. Available at: https://
inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-staff-1-in- 7-trying-leave-health-service-than-height- covid-pandemic-2159121. [Accessed on 28/05/2023]
About the author
James Hockley is Mölnlycke’s UK’s business director for operating solutions & general manager. He has been at the company for seven years, having served as its head of national commercial development for five of those.
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