Rapid creation of a surgical hub to reduce waiting lists

A successfully implemented surgical hub provides many benefits to individuals and to organisations, contributing towards the meeting of the NHS’s most important objectives. The headline is a reduction in waiting times for elective surgery and often this is for the Trust upon whose site the hub is located and for neighbouring Trusts. A surgical hub, because of the scheduled nature of its procedures, is also recognised to be a great environment for training. The timely completion of elective procedures also has knock-on effects for other areas of the NHS and for wider society. 

As Glen Burley, Chief Executive, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, says, “There’s a relationship between shorter elective waits and urgent care, particularly in orthopaedics. So, if we can manage those individual patients, they’re less likely to come in as an emergency, which has a bigger financial impact for the NHS and is a bad outcome. Just being able to mobilise, so that they’re able to live active, independent lives…The ongoing burden on the NHS when they’re not, is really significant.”

Harkamal Heran, Chief Operating Officer at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, agrees. “We don’t want patients coming to us via our Emergency Department. We want them here on an elective waiting list, having received really, really good pre-op, healthy, fit, willing and able to receive the treatment and then go home as quickly as possible,” Harkamal comments.