Tre teatri mobili e cinque anni di collaborazione con gli ospedali universitari di Birmingham per ottimizzare l'esperienza del paziente

A surgical hub, focussing on cholecystectomies

In 2019, delayed cholecystectomies were severely affecting the UHB patient experience, causing repeated hospital admissions and increasing the risk of patients suffering complications. This was straining resources and impacting patient experience in other areas. UHB prioritised gallbladder surgery and, having worked with Vanguard in 2014 to increase capacity for orthopaedics and endoscopy, wanted to collaborate again.

They established a surgical hub for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, consolidating resources and skills and maximising efficiency. Vanguard supplied a mobile surgical theatre and clinical staff. Within weeks, the theatre was open and the team focussing on lap choles, significantly reducing waiting times. Patients’ needs were being met within the shortest time, and by supplying clinicians, Vanguard helped ensure this new initiatives didn’t deprive other departments of resources and other patients of procedures.

Vanguard theatres are designed to enable Trusts to optimise patient experience, from both Estates and Clinical viewpoints. They can be positioned close to supporting departments, connected to the hospital via a purpose-built corridor. Inside is a simple, effective ‘one-way’ layout of anaesthetic room to operating theatre to recovery room, with an adjacent corridor via which patients leave the recovery room. These features combine to benefit the patient journey and efficiency.

Creating a 'Green' surgical site during the Covid-19 pandemic

In 2020, Vanguard’s flexibility benefited patients further. Covid-19 stopped procedures at Solihull. NHS staff redeployed to Heartlands, and Vanguard staff too, pitched in where needed. Within six weeks, the Vanguard team was back, opening their theatre as a ‘Green’, isolated, facility, performing elective procedures during the pandemic, reducing backlogs in the region, caused by Covid-19. Specialities included general surgery, gynaecology, and urology. Key to Vanguard theatres being open during the pandemic was its clinicians’ consideration of patient flow.

Three Vanguard theatres and clinical teams helped address the backlog

Following the worst of the pandemic, it was no surprise to see the decisiveness of the trust and the responsiveness of Vanguard enabling a quick response to the elective backlog. UHB requested and Vanguard quickly supplied another two theatres, each with a Vanguard clinical team of five. Elective procedures have included breast, dental, ENT, general, maxilla-facial, plastic, and urology.

While the Vanguard theatres dealt with the elective back log they helped to prove that Solihull Hospital was able to cope without any procedures being postponed due to lack of bed space. Plans were made for a permanent surgical centre at the site. The Vanguard theatres, while still reducing the backlog, gave the trust time to build and staff the new six-theatre complex.

The complete integration of the Vanguard theatre and team were crucial to UHB's success

Vital to achieving the trust's objectives has been the ability of the Vanguard team to integrate with the hospital staff, systems and procedures. From surgical hub for laparoscopic cholecystectomy to Covid-19 green site, to a hub for elective surgery performing procedures across the specialities, including breast, dental, ENT, general, maxilla-facial, plastic, and urology, often changing at short notice, the team has earned respect and compliments from NHS colleagues for their contribution to the trust's success.

NHS staff consider the Vanguard theatre and staff to be intrinsically part of Solihull Hospital. Natalie Arnold, Operations Manager, Pre-Op, SEAU, Theatres, EPOC and Surgical wards, describes Vanguard’s clinical lead, Simon Barker, as ’just one of our Band 7s’ and praises the Vanguard clinical team’s willingness to accept additional lists and to help in other theatres.

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