Kate Woodhead RGN DMS discusses the work of Getting it right first time (GIRFT) in tackling the issue of surgical site infection, including the findings of a new report which looks at surgical practice in orthopaedics.
She highlights the need for better discipline and education among theatre teams.
The programme of enquiry Getting it right first time (GIRFT), which affects many different healthcare organisations, reviewed and reported on aspects of orthopaedic and trauma surgery earlier this year. The actions undertaken by many Trusts to effect more efficient services are enabling many specialties to use data better and to make substantial savings by reducing variation and to improve substantially the quality of service they deliver.
The programme first began as a pilot in orthopaedic surgery, when surgeon Professor Tim Briggs was about to become the president of the British Orthopaedic Association, in 2012. The successes of the original programmes have now been spread across 35 different medical and surgical specialties which now aim to improve productivity and release savings of up to £1.4 billion by 2020/21. A key aspect of this successful initiative is that it involves the frontline clinicians who are the experts in their field. It is their data they are exploring and their practice which is under the spotlight.
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