Nottingham hospitals to maximise theatre capacity and protect planned care this winter
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has committed to protecting planned care this winter in order to prevent pressures from seasonal illnesses like flu from having an impact on wait times.
This year, NUH started planning for winter earlier than ever before to ensure elective procedures can continue throughout the winter months.
The plan includes initiatives such as the short-stay hip and knee replacement pathway, High Intensity Theatre (HIT) lists and dual operating theatres to maximise capacity and benefit patients.
Last month elective orthopaedic activity at NUH was at 124% of pre-Covid activity compared with November 2019.
Jennifer Beaumont, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at NUH said: “One of our top priorities this winter is to continue planned care and procedures as much as possible.
“Winter is an extremely busy time for the NHS however it is a priority for us to maximise our theatre and outpatient capacity to continue to reduce waiting lists and improve patient experience.
“In previous years we have had to reduce elective operating capacity over winter due to bed pressures from emergency admissions. This year we have planned additional bed capacity so we can protect planned care to ensure procedures can continue.
“Our teams have worked incredibly hard to significantly reduce 65-week waits Trust wide and we are still on track to eliminate almost all orthopaedics 52-week waits by the end of March.
“We know how important it is to our patients to continue with planned care and reduce waiting lists as quickly and safely as possible.”
Last year, NUH introduced a short-stay hip and knee replacement pathway aimed at discharging patients on the same day as their surgery.
In the first 6 months of the pathway 58% of patients were discharged from hospital within 24 hours of surgery, compared to only 10% before it was introduced.
The average length of stay following a hip or knee replacement has now reduced by over two days allowing us to increase operating capacity, reduce waiting lists and free up beds for other patients.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Benjamin Bloch, was instrumental in developing the pathway which has already benefitted over 1,000 patients.
He said: “The pathway continues to be a real success and is helping us maximise theatre capacity and continue with elective procedures as we head into winter.
“We first introduced the pathway to try to get patients out of hospital much more quickly because the best place to recover is at home.
“It’s great that we have also improved operating capacity helping us to reduce waiting lists and free up hospital beds for other patients who need them.
“If we can use our resources more efficiently and get more patients seen, then that can only be a good thing."
The development of the pathway was a multidisciplinary process and included surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and management personnel.
Other initiatives introduced at NUH to maximise theatre capacity include HIT lists and dual operating techniques.
Like all NHS trusts NUH expects demand on our services to increase throughout the winter months.
Our staff are working incredibly hard to ensure patients with the most urgent medical needs are prioritised.
The public can help us this winter by only attending our Emergency Department in an emergency and using alternative services where possible, including 111 online, pharmacies or urgent treatment centres.
By choosing the right service, staff and vital hospital beds will be available for those that need them the most.