On Friday we had a visit from Professor Tim Briggs who created the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) campaign, setting the highest standards for surgery across the UK. Prof Briggs and his GIRFT team came to assess us after we applied for Centre of Excellence status based on all the hard work we have been undertaking to reduce the waiting list backlog created by the pandemic, at the same time as addressing health inequalities.
If we get the accreditation, we'll be one of just eight centres in the country.
Prof Briggs heads up the UK’s national response to post-pandemic recovery as he is now the NHS England National Director for Clinical Improvements and Elective Recovery.
Prof Briggs and GIRFT colleague, Chris Snowden, listened to a full presentation delivered by colleagues in all roles in Surgery (pictured).
Afterwards, Prof Briggs said: “This is clearly patient-focused. What you have done to get the waits down is phenomenal. You have great ambition. I want you to know that.”
He said the morale, leadership, team-working and motivation was typical of the “can-do” attitude much-needed by the whole of the NHS, adding: "There is leadership, great working together and you have a happy place to work.”
Surgeon, Arin Saha, said:"The key to the success was everyone being involved in the planning of the new way of working." And his surgeon colleague, Will Ainslie, said:"The team has had a lot of support from the CEO and CHFT Board for trying to do something different instead of sticking to traditional ways of working."
To gain accreditation we have to demonstrate all our work and successful outcomes in the following categories: Patient Pathway, Staff and Training, Clinical Governance and Outcomes, Utilisation and Productivity, Facilities and Ringfencing.
Natalka Drapan, General Manager for Operating Services, said: “Colleagues and key stakeholders have been working extremely hard for months now to provide all the evidence required for Hub status. This includes improving all our work on theatre efficiencies, utilisation, scheduling and day case rates through the Elective Surgery Unit (ESU), in line with the model hospital and GIRFT target. Friday was very much the “interview” stage after making the application and now we await the outcome in anticipation!”
Chief Operating Officer, Jonny Hammond, hailed the input from the data teams for ensuring every patient was tracked. “They give an extra level of focus. The whole team are living and breathing this,” he said.
The decision will be known in the next few weeks.
