Safer Services
Theme 1 - Safer Services is led by Prof Ramani Moonesinghe and Prof Naomi Fulop.
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Under Safer Services theme we have 2 projects running which will directly address the challenges of 'change' within the NHS, how those challenges may impact patient safety and what can be done to mitigate risk to patient safety.
E-PERISCOPE: Evaluation of National Perioperative Screening and Optimisation Programme
Study 1 is using mixed methods approaches to evaluate the safety of existing and new strategies of care. In 2023, NHS England launched a national programme to optimise patient health prior to having surgery to help reduce cancelled operations or poor outcomes. In the Safer Services theme, the team will analyse qualitative and quantitative data to understand how staff, patients and carers experience this pathway to help guide ongoing delivery of this programme across the NHS to make surgical services safer. This project has been designed in collaboration with our PPIE members who have been instrumental in providing the patient and carer voice to our approach and they will continue to work with us throughout delivery and dissemination.
Enhanced perioperative care services
We will carry out a national survey assessing the structure of provision of enhanced care for patients undergoing major surgery in England. These services are intended to offer an intermediate form of postoperative care between the surgical ward and intensive care. This is sometimes referred to as level 1 care. This reflects the potential of enhanced perioperative care to reduce the risk of complications for patients at higher perioperative risk, as well as to ensure higher level care is preserved for patients most likely to benefit from it, and in so doing reduce cancellation rates and improve patient experience.
Different models of delivering care: Anaesthesia associates
In response to the recently announced plans to increase anaesthesia associates across the NHS, we will carry out a rapid appraisal to explore the perceptions and experiences of anaesthesia associates, and those working alongside them. We will also look at the policy landscape in relation to the training and role of anaesthesia associates.