Trust pre-operative assessment team shortlisted in Patient Safety Awards
The Trust is delighted to announce that our pre-operative assessment team has been shortlisted in this year’s HSJ Patient Safety Awards in the Safety Improvement through Technology Award category.
The pre-operative assessment team was shortlisted following its work to review the service and find smarter, more cost-effective and efficient ways of working to meet the rise in demand for surgery.
The team realised that they needed to double the number of pre-operative appointments they had available to meet the demand. Following a service review, the team partnered with digital solutions provider Graphnet. Working in close partnership they specified and implemented a digital screening tool to triage patients. The digitisation of clinical processes has allowed the team to reduce waiting times, for example, the average wait time for low-risk patients was 18.6 days in March 2023 and by November 2023 had been reduced to 2.3 days. This has positively impacted patient experience and safety.
Jonathan Berry, Director of Surgery and Critical Care Group for the Trust said: “It’s fantastic that the hard work of this essential team has been recognised. The Trust is constantly focused on improving our services to provide the best patient care in the most effective and efficient ways. Taking time out of incredibly busy day jobs to re-evaluate ways of working and then implementing an innovative solution shows impressive dedication by this quality improvement focused team. Introducing new technology is no easy or small task, but this team has risen to the challenge, achieving positive results for both our patients and the team themselves.”
Winners will be announced on 16 September at an awards ceremony in Manchester.
The HSJ Patient Safety Awards recognise safety, culture and positive experience in patient care, celebrating its worthy finalists on a national scale. They acknowledge the hard-working teams and individuals across the UK who are continually striving to deliver improved patient care.