Hospital of St Cross accredited as an Elective Surgical Hub in recognition of high clinical standards

The Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, has been successfully accredited as an elective surgical hub delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice.

The scheme, run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, assesses hubs against a framework of standards to help hubs deliver faster access to some of the most common surgical procedures such as cataract surgeries and hip replacements. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care.

Surgical hubs, which are separated from emergency services, are part of plans nationally to increase capacity for elective care with more dedicated operating theatres and beds.

The hubs exclusively perform planned surgery and mainly focus on high volume, low complexity (HVLC) surgery across six specialties - ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ear nose and throat, and urology.

Hubs bring together the skills and expertise of staff under one roof, with protected facilities and theatres, helping to deliver shorter waiting times for surgery.  Because they are separated from emergency services, their surgical beds can be kept free for patients waiting for planned operations, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations.

The Hospital of St Cross was recently visited and assessed by the GIRFT team for accreditation and recognition that the hub is working to a defined set of clinical and operational standards on:

           · The patient pathway

· Staff and training

· Clinical governance and outcomes

· Facilities and ring-fencing

· Utilisation and productivity

The Hospital of St Cross is one of 31 hubs to date that have been accredited.  There are around 94 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 two years.

Gaby Harris, Chief Operating Officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, which manages the Hospital of St Cross, said: “As a Trust we are committed to being rooted in our communities and offering more services closer to home for the people of Rugby and surrounding areas.

“This accreditation demonstrates the skill, dedication and expertise of our teams and our commitment to further increasing the provision of planned surgery, as outlined in our Organisational Strategy.

“We are incredibly proud of our staff for this achievement and the hard work and dedication that goes into delivering the highest standard of care.’’

Developments and investments at the Hospital of St Cross include the addition of a newly expanded three suite endoscopy unit, the £1 million Maple cancer and blood disorder Unit, the opening of a specialist breast care unit, a new ultrasound suite in outpatients and the modular build of two new theatres to expand surgical capacity.

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.”