27
Oct 2017
Two hours wasted each day in NHS operating theatres
A new study by regulator NHS Improvement suggests that by organising schedules more efficiently, 280,000 more non-emergency operations could be carried out each year within NHS hospitals.
The researchers looked at data from operating theatres across 100 NHS Trusts throughout England in 2016.
The report argued that rather than surgeons being more efficient in the operating theatre, more effective planning of lists would have made a significant difference.
Steve Russell from NHS Improvement said “We hope this analysis will enable them to identify bottlenecks within their systems to ensure operations are scheduled more appropriately and more patients receive the care they need quickly.”
President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Professor Derek Alderson, says that high bed occupancy rates in hospitals are the source of many of the problems.
He went on to say “The logjam effect is a very major problem because the hospitals are completely full virtually all of the time.
“So if you need an intensive care bed and yesterday’s patient is not well enough to leave the intensive care unit, that day’s operating list cannot start.
“It’s frustrating and it’s very wasteful.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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