Elective surgery hubs at Rochdale and Bury Care Organisations recognised for meeting top clinical and operational standards

The Northern Care Alliance’s elective surgery hubs at Rochdale and Bury Care Organisations are amongst eight newly accredited sites in England recognised for meeting top clinical and operational standards.

Surgical hubs, which are separated from emergency services, are part of plans nationally to increase capacity for elective care with more dedicated operating theatres and beds.

The hubs exclusively perform planned surgery and mainly focus on high volume, low complexity (HVLC) surgery across various specialties including ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ear nose and throat, and urology.

Some hubs are single specialty such as orthopaedic centres, while others provide services across a range of specialty areas. Some hubs also provide more complex surgery, including cancer procedures.

All bring together the skills and expertise of staff under one roof, with protected facilities and theatres, helping to deliver shorter waits for surgery.

 

 

The hub beds are designated for patients waiting for planned surgical procedures, and are protected from emergency admissions, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations.

The accreditation scheme, run by NHS Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) is in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England and supported by the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The scheme assesses hubs against a framework of standards to help deliver faster access to some of the most common surgical procedures such as cataract surgeries and hip replacements. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care provided by the hubs.

The GIRFT team evaluated the hubs against five elements: the patient pathway, staff and training, clinical governance and outcomes, facilities and ring-fencing, and utilisation and productivity.

Dr Shona McCallum, medical director Rochdale Care Organisation, said: “We are delighted to be recognised for our outstanding care to our patients who come to Rochdale for surgery.

“Our hub site [at Rochdale Infirmary] is dedicated to provide convenient same day surgery for patients across all of the Care Organisations within the Northern Care Alliance and Greater Manchester.

“Our focus is to reduce the waiting times for our service users so that they have shorter wait times for surgery with the hub site allowing us to increase capacity for planned elective care.

“The accreditation is a testament to the incredible hard work of our colleagues who have shown we can do this and to a high standard.”