6:00pm Monday 2nd April 2012
By Wendy Brading
THE number of cancelled operations at Colchester General Hospital has been halved.
Staff at the hospital, in Turner Road, Colchester, are celebrating the first anniversary of a project designed to improve the performance of its 15 operating theatres.
The figures show the programme has helped reduce the number of cancelled operations by more than 50 per cent.
In January, 71 operations at the hospital were cancelled, compared with 146 in December 2010.
The figures also show in February, 98.3 per cent of theatre sessions at the hospital were used, compared with 93.2 per cent in February last year.
Toni Austin, head of theatres, said: “At about £4,000 a session, operating theatres are an extremely expensive resource, so it’s essential we do all we can to make them as efficient as possible.
“The productive operating theatre programme enables theatre staff to take control of their operating theatre lists to ensure they are designed in a way which suits patients and focus on improving their outcomes.
“Our staff have shown huge commitment to this programme.”
Some of the measures which have been introduced have been straightforward but have resulted in significant improvements.
They include:
Team briefings are now held at the start of operating lists which give the operating team an opportunity to share information.
All the theatre team, including consultant surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, healthcare assistants and operating department practitioners, take part in the briefing.
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