Practice hails RCVS Knowledge efficiency recognition

A Manchester vet practice said it is “incredibly proud” to have been recognised for a project improving efficiency and patient safety across orthopaedic surgical care.

Manchester Veterinary Specialists (MVS) received a Highly Commended accolade at the RCVS Knowledge Awards for its project “Enhancing Efficiency and Patient Safety Across the Orthopaedic Surgical Journey”.

The initiative focused on identifying and reducing avoidable waiting periods for patients undergoing orthopaedic procedures.

The MVS team analysed each stage of the patient pathway to minimise unproductive time spent under sedation or general anaesthesia, said to help reduce clinical risk while improving workflow across the hospital.

Practical changes

They conducted a series of audits over an 18-month period and introduced practical changes including earlier owner discussions around surgical consent, improved communication between clinicians and nursing teams, more proactive theatre management and better coordination of radiography scheduling.

Subsequent audits demonstrated the overall target of reducing cumulative waiting time under sedation or anaesthesia was achieved, with average waiting times falling by 11% in the first re-audit and a further 12% reduction confirmed in the most recent audit cycle.

Waiting times in the transfer of patients to theatre were reduced by 59% compared with earlier audit results.

Operational efficiencies saw nursing overtime reduce by 83% from 53 hours to seven hours over a comparable two-month period.

The team also reported reduced frustration, clearer role expectations and improved staff well-being thanks to the improvements to communication and predictability throughout the working day.

‘Valuable lessons’

In a joint statement, MVS veterinary anaesthetist Philomena Roe and head nurse Stacey Cox said: “One of the most valuable lessons from this project was that improving patient safety is rarely about one major change. Instead, it comes from lots of small improvements, better communication and a willingness to reflect on how our systems work.

“By bringing different teams together to understand the challenges faced by their colleagues, we were able to reduce unnecessary anaesthetic time, improve efficiency and create a more predictable experience for both patients and staff.

“We’re incredibly proud that this work has been recognised by the RCVS Knowledge Awards and, most importantly, that it has helped us continue to improve the care we provide.”