Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is pleased to announce that the Day Case Unit at Leigh Infirmary has been awarded Surgical hub accreditation by the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, following a visit by NHS England.
This is the second time WWL have achieved Surgical Hub status, following Wrightington Hospital’s accreditation in September last year.
The Leigh Day Case Unit, a specialist centre with a focus on providing ‘high volume low complexity’ surgery for ophthalmology, general surgery, gynaecology and urology patients, is also the main site for breast cancer surgery at the Trust.
The accreditation required collaboration amongst a number of departments and support services, and, alongside the building of a new theatre at the site, teams at Leigh successfully increased activity and efficiency meaning patients have shorter waits for surgery.
Leigh Day Case Unit has a workforce with the skills and expertise under one roof specifically skilled in day case and the specialties at Leigh. Being a specialist centre with this skill set day case patients will be well enough and ready to go home on the same day.
Leigh also has plans to increase capacity for ophthalmology to further support shortening waiting time for cataract operations across Greater Manchester (GM).
WWL Chief Executive, Mary Fleming said: “I am delighted for our colleagues at Leigh Infirmary, who have put in a tremendous effort to reach this accreditation which, along with Wrightington, completes our surgically accredited hubs.
“With the addition of our new Community Diagnostic Centre and Theatre 4 extension, Leigh is a beacon for same day treatment. We hope this recognition further solidifies our reputation for delivering exceptional care and value to our patients on this site. This achievement enables the Trust to enhance patient outcomes and reduce waiting times, not only for our local community, but also for Greater Manchester as a whole.”
Surgical hubs are an integral part of the elective recovery plan within the NHS and Leigh Infirmary is now recognised as part of this national plan to increase surgical capacity and to offer more patients quicker access to some of the most common procedures across the Wigan Borough and GM.
Achieving Surgical Hub accreditation means that Leigh Infirmary has been nationally recognised in a range of criteria, for meeting top clinical and operational standards, and is a visible marker of excellence quality in how it is managed, and the experience of its’ patients.
Surgical Hub capacity is kept separate from emergency services, and being a standalone site, surgical beds are kept free for patients waiting for planned operations, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations due to other emergency admissions taking priority.
Leigh Infirmary is now one of 40 hubs to date that have been accredited. There are around 107 hub sites currently in operation in England and the scheme is being rolled out nationally with quarterly cohorts to accredit all hubs over the next 18 months.
Professor Tim Briggs, Chair of GIRFT and NHS England’s National Director for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery, said: “We have been impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm of the hub teams who are delivering outstanding care.
“All of the sites we accredited are focused on delivering safe and high-quality care, and an excellent patient experience. GIRFT’s focus is on developing surgical hubs with the aim of improving patient flow so that patients have shorter waits for surgery and, for some procedures, will be more likely to be able to go home on the same day.”