Specialties Covered:
Gynae Oncology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Urology and Ophthalmology.
Overview
Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust is a major integrated care organisation in the North-West of Birmingham, employing over 7,000 healthcare professionals. It operates key facilities including Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich, City Hospital in Dudley, and intermediate care hubs in Rowley Regis and Smethwick.
The Challenge
In response to the growing surgery backlogs caused by the pandemic, the Trust required an insourcing partner to provide additional capacity and integrate seamlessly with their teams.
After a successful HTE framework organised tender process Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust engaged with us to provide support to enable restoration and recovery of elective surgery and maintain trauma capacity. Up to 20 staff per day were required to assist with theatre sessions within multiple specialities.
Our Approach
Following the successful award of the contract, we engaged with the Group Nursing director to establish objectives and agree a proactive approach to supporting the sites as required.
Over the course of a 12-month contract, we provided daily staffing for five operating theatres, deploying a full team consisting of: 1x Anaesthetic nurse, 2x Scrub nurses, 1x Recovery nurse and 1x Circulator.
We delivered up to 25 staff to meet the Trust's surgical needs, supporting theatres across Sandwell Hospital, City Hospital Birmingham, and the Midlands Eye Centre.
Highlights
Supporting 5 operating theatres dedicated to Gynae Oncology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Urology and Ophthalmology, our team consistently delivered the following daily surgical outputs:
- 4 - 6 orthopaedic surgeries
- 4 general / ENT surgeries
- 2 - 4 trauma surgeries
- 10 - 15 minor orthopaedics surgeries
- 1 - 2 gynae oncology surgeries
- 15 - 20 cataract surgeries
We maintained a 100% fill rate, covering 99% of staff absences and sicknesses, and received zero complaints.
Biweekly management meetings ensured smooth operations, quick issue resolution, and continuous process improvement.
Our multidisciplinary teams collaborated effectively with the Trust's management and in-house theatre staff to maximise operational efficiency.
Outcomes
Our efforts led to a total average of 255 additional surgeries being completed each week. Due to this, we significantly reduced the Trust's waiting list backlog by completing an estimated 14,280 surgeries across our 12-month contract.
Thus, the trust goals were achieved and wait lists were effectively cleared.