BUPA FOUNDATION SUPPORTS RESEARCH

Surgeons are using airline pilot team type training in a ground-breaking project to improve communication in operating theatres. Top surgeons in Oxford believe such training by ex-British Airways crews could cut the number of errors in surgery and improve safety and success rates. So important is the study that the BUPA Foundation has awarded the project nearly £300,000 in funding to drive the project forward. While the severity of the disease, the age of the patient and the skill and judgement of the surgeon are clearly major factors, the organisational culture and communication are also critical. The researchers plan to study surgical teams before and after the training to determine whether it improves their attitudes, their performance, or reduces the complication rate in their patients. Project leader and clinical reader in surgery at the University of Oxford, Peter McCulloch, said: “Successful surgery requires teamwork between nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists – but no formal training in team communication is normally given to these staff.

“Our research will show whether adopting the team training used by pilots in a theatre environment will improve surgical results. If it does this could ultimately change the way theatre personnel are trained.”

It is expected that the study will be finalised by the end of 2006.