Media release from health minister Tony Ryall
      
More productivity in operating theatres

Health Minister Tony Ryall today launched a new productivity programme led by surgeons, anaesthetists, and theatre nurses to improve quality and efficiency in public hospital operating theatres.

Teams from Waitemata, Auckland, Tairawhiti, Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, Hutt Valley and Southern DHBs are this week working with experts from Britain's National Health Service.

This programme will enhance the excellent work already being done in many DHBs to improve operating theatre management.

The new programme encourages frontline staff to identify problems with their operating procedures and find ways of solving them.

"Theatre staff are often frustrated by delays in starting the day's surgical list, and delays in preparing patients. These delays often mean less productivity with patients having their operations cancelled".

Results from the NHS programme suggest productivity improvements can be made in a number of key areas:

·         improving start time and turnaround, session uptake and utilisation, and staff wellbeing

·         reducing time wasted searching for equipment

·         improving rates of pain control in recovery

·         more smoothly running surgical lists with fewer glitches and improved safety culture with the introduction of briefing and debriefing, along with the WHO checklist,

"Theatre staff report fewer cancelled operations, up to 25% reduction in start time delays, up to 60% faster turnaround between each operation, and significantly improved job satisfaction.

"The public health service is making progress in doing things better, and making the most of our resources. This approach will help us provide even more operations with the same resources.

"It is very encouraging to see clinicians showing such enthusiasm for making even greater improvements to the way they work," said Mr Ryall.

"The National Government is strongly committed to improving quality and efficiency in the public health service. District Health Boards are already successfully running the NHS programme The Productive Ward -Releasing Time to Care which focuses on improving the way wards and staff work.

"This programme has given nurses up to 50% more time to spend with their patients and other gains include reduced patient falls by up to 100% and a reduction in medication errors of up to 85%."

The surgical teams start the programme in their hospitals next month.