The team brief is an important part of effective team working in theatres. An innovative but simple initiative to ensuring everyone feels part of the team is simultaneously tackling environmental and infection control issues in theatres. Danielle Checketts provides an insight
The NHS is striving to be more sustainable, moving to greener alternative products, away from disposable items where the daily contribution results in millions of single-use throw-away items going to landfills. The Royal College of Surgeons has recognised that it is imperative to act collectively and urgently to address this issue, so they have developed a Green Theatre Checklist to help drive greener changes. Reusable textiles advice, from this checklist, includes switching to reusable theatre hats, sterile gowns, patient drapes, and trolley covers.
A recent innovation in this area has been developed, which follows the sustainable changes, but can also help to flatten hierarchies, improve teamwork, reduce the risk of infection and create efficiencies, ultimately having positive impacts on patient safety and care quality.
The UK healthcare system operates within a stringent framework designed to ensure high-quality patient care. However, beneath this structure lies a complex network of hierarchical barriers that can impede effective communication, collaboration and, ultimately, patient outcomes. These barriers arise from various sources, such as professional hierarchies with differing levels of authority within healthcare teams. In operating theatres, confusion often surrounds the names and roles of team members, leading to communication breakdowns.
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