The All-Party Parliamentary Thrombosis Group (APPTG) has welcomed the Department of Health’s (DH) decision to mandate venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention in the Operating Framework for the NHS in 2010/11.
The All Party Group has been campaigning for its inclusion as a key step in reducing up to 25,000 annual avoidable deaths and saving the NHS over half a billion pounds a year. The APPTG has been working alongside the Department of Health to prioritise VTE prevention in recent years. It has frequently demonstrated that mandating best practice is the most effective way to increase the quality of patient care and achieve significant cost savings for the NHS. The announcement follows the publication of the APPTG annual survey of all acute Trusts in England. It found that only 41% of Trusts are able to demonstrate that all hospital inpatients are being risk assessed and are receiving appropriate preventative treatment as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer and NICE. Crucially, the move to mandate VTE prevention was supported by over three quarters of Trusts – 77% thought this would be the most effective way to drive compliance with VTE prevention policies at the ward level. The decision will apply to all Strategic Health Authorities who will be able to recoup money paid to hospitals for procedures, where it transpires patients have not been risk assessed for VTE. Professor Beverley Hunt, medical director, from Lifeblood: The Thrombosis Charity, said: “Our campaign for reducing deaths from hospital acquired VTE has always recognised that mandating VTE prevention is critical to ensuring all patients are risk-assessed and given appropriate prophylaxis. We are pleased VTE has finally been given the priority it deserves.” Risk Assessment for Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is available on the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/VTE.
