NHS surgical hubs deliver more operations and could cut waiting lists

Dedicated surgical hubs deliver more operations such as hip replacements and cataract removal in a shorter time and could be key to driving down NHS waiting lists, an evaluation has found.

A new report from the Health Foundation charity found that surgical hubs, which are still being rolled out across the NHS, increase the number of operations that can be carried out while reducing the length of time patients spend in hospital.

Surgical hubs are central to NHS plans to offer hundreds of thousands more patients quicker access to common procedures.

The hubs focus mainly on providing surgery at high volume but with low complexity, such as cataract operations, hip and knee replacements, gynaecology, ear, nose and throat procedures and hernia removal.

According to the NHS, they are separate to hospital emergency services, which means surgical beds are kept free for patients waiting for planned operations and those operations are less likely to be cancelled.

The Health Foundation study found that, as of August, there were 108 surgical hubs operating in England with a further 26 due to open by the end of 2025.

Researchers analysed data to show that more operations were carried out by the hubs than if they had not been created, while patients experienced shorter stays.

For example, at 23 hubs in England, after April 2021, some 11.2% more operations were carried out than would otherwise have been the case.

“To put this in perspective, this means that these trusts, which serve approximately 17% of England’s population, performed 51,086 more procedures than expected between April 2021 and March 2022.

“As well as delivering more operations, we also found that patients stayed in the hospital for shorter periods suggesting that hubs could make elective care more efficient overall.”

The study added: “At the 31 new-hub trusts, which serve almost a quarter of England’s population, elective activity was 21.9% higher in the first year of hub opening (than if the hubs had not been set up), with effects apparent after three months.

“This is equivalent to 29,182 more procedures than expected per year at these trusts.”

Charles Tallack, director of data analytics at the Health Foundation, said: “With the waiting list in England standing at 7.6 million, one in nine people are waiting for care they need – often with worry, pain or discomfort.

“It is therefore vital that we understand and implement the most effective ways of reducing the backlog of care.

“Our research provides the first robust causal evidence that elective surgical hubs can significantly increase the number of patients treated and reduce the length of time they spend in hospital.

“With the new Government having staked its credibility on tackling the NHS waiting list, our research suggests that surgical hubs could play an important role in helping to deliver on this.”

Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, which has backed the expansion of surgical hubs, said: “With the Budget on the horizon, we hope these findings encourage the Government to turbocharge the expansion of surgical hubs nationwide, ensuring that every patient, regardless of location, can benefit from this proven initiative to receive faster treatment.”

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Trust leaders and their teams have seen first-hand how having dedicated staff and resources in NHS surgical hubs can drive down waiting times, increase procedures and benefit patients.

“They’re doing everything they can to ensure patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

“But with waiting lists rising for the third month in a row, trust leaders know that they need significant investment in staff, buildings and equipment across all NHS sites – including hospitals and surgical hubs – if they’re going to make a real dent in waiting times for patients.”

Professor Tim Briggs, NHS England’s national director for clinical improvement and elective recovery, said: “Surgical hubs are transforming how the NHS is delivering care for patients and helping to cut waiting times by bringing together the skills and expertise of staff under one roof, with clinical leaders improving each step in the process.

“High performing hubs are just one example of work we are doing to improve patient experience as we increase the number of tests, operations and outpatient appointments the NHS can offer and transform pathways to make it easier for patients to be treated in the most appropriate environment.”

Published: 05/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub