Eight elective surgical hubs have been awarded accreditation as part of a pilot scheme to ensure the highest standards in clinical and operational practice.
The scheme, run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, assesses hubs against a framework of standards to help hubs deliver faster access to some of the most common surgical procedures such as cataract surgeries and hip replacements. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care provided by the hubs.
Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said: “It is very good news for patients that the first eight elective surgical hubs have now been awarded accreditation. We feel strongly that the establishment of surgical hubs is key to tackling the backlog of patients waiting for surgery. Surgical hubs will ensure patients’ surgeries can go ahead, even when emergency pressures increase.
“We are pleased to be able to support this scheme, which will help ensure that surgical hubs are meeting the highest standards of patient care, and that good practice is shared across the country. It is also vitally important that training is part of the criteria for accreditation. If our surgical trainees do not have opportunities to train now, we will not have the surgeons we need in the future.
“Congratulations to the hubs that have been awarded accreditation. They are leading the way for others as the scheme is rolled out nationally.”
You can read more about the accreditation scheme and the eight pilot hubs on the GIRFT website.
