Patients are costing the NHS millions of pounds a year by turning up for operations too unsuitable to go under the knife, a damning report reveals.
It says doctors have to cancel around 135,000 surgical procedures in one day every year, costing £400 million in lost theater time.
A third of these have potentially preventable clinical reasons, including patients who are unprepared for surgery or have unaddressed comorbidities.
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Now the Center for Perioperative Care (CPOC) is calling for waiting lists to be renamed ‘preparation lists’, with sick Brits told to get into shape after being referred for surgery.
Long waits for care offer people the opportunity to increase their physical activity, improve their diet and quit smoking, the alliance of medical groups adds.
Patients can also use the time to manage other health problems and mentally prepare for the procedure and rehabilitation.
The CPOC’s ‘Blueprint for NHS Efficiency’ report states: ‘The NHS has too many cancellations, complications and long hospital stays – often due to patients arriving for surgery in an unfit condition.
‘These can be avoided through coordinated action to convert waiting lists into preparation lists, including screening and actively supporting patients to improve and maintain their health while they wait.
‘If patients have treatable health problems, they should be offered help to address these, including through ‘prehabilitation’ programs, which can provide support with exercise, smoking cessation and more.
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‘This is not, and should not be, about putting up barriers to surgery: it is about giving patients the support they need to best prepare themselves.’
According to the CPOC, preparing for surgery reduces complications by 30 to 80 percent and shortens the time patients spend in the hospital by one to two days.
It also wants hospitals to place more emphasis on rehabilitation, with patients encouraged to drink, eat and exercise as soon as possible after surgery.
And it says better discharge planning can reduce readmissions by 11.5 percent, which can reduce waiting lists and costs.
Dr. David Selwyn, director of CPOC, said: ‘NHS waiting lists are at record levels, but can be dramatically reduced by transforming the surgical pathway.
‘The NHS could vastly improve its efficiency and improve patient outcomes by converting waiting lists into preparation lists, taking simple steps to help patients drink, eat and mobilize after surgery and through better discharge planning.
‘The potential for the NHS to increase the number of successful operations and save millions of pounds is enormous, but first we need some additional investment to turn best practice into transforming the way we care for patients.
‘The evidence for these interventions is there, we just need to implement them.’
The CPOC says implementing this policy would save the NHS money, but claims start-up costs are a barrier.
She would like to see the Government invest in a £100m ‘NHS Efficiency Transformation Fund’, which would be allocated to Trusts to implement the proposals.
The CPOC is led by the Royal College of Anesthetists in partnership with other colleges including the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
An NHS England spokesperson said: ‘As part of our Elective Recovery Plan, specialist nurses, care coordinators and doctors provide personalized plans for patients ahead of their surgical procedure, including support with smoking cessation, weight loss and help with mental health problems. health – increasing people’s chances of a quick recovery and helping to reduce the number of operations canceled on the day.’