18 September 2019

Areas of good practice at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) have been highlighted by a national NHS clinical improvement programme.

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme looks to improve NHS care by reducing unwarranted variation in the way services are delivered.

As part of SaTH’s improvement journey, GIRFT is working with the Trust to identify and share good practice, and agree opportunities for further development.

A number of areas of practice have been praised by the programme; for example the care of children admitted through A&E being led by paediatricians, with input from other specialties where required. In Orthopaedics, SaTH has reduced its surgical equipment costs, while in renal medicine, the Trust is delivering a high-quality home therapy service.

GIRFT is led by expert clinicians, who visit NHS trusts across England to review a range of surgical, and medical specialties, as well as support services, such as radiology and pathology. During each visit, good practice is identified and a series of recommendations are made to improve services further.

SaTH has already welcomed the GIRFT team to 13 of its departments, with three more visits booked for the coming months. The good practice identified at the Trust will enable GIRFT to support other providers to make similar improvements.

Teams across the trust are now working hard to improve services further, in line with the recommendations agreed by GIRFT and the Trust.

The trust has already ring-fenced 14 beds for orthopaedic surgery, with a view to reducing cancellation rates and minimising infection risks, while in obstetrics and gynaecology, SaTH is now offering more laparoscopic procedures, which carry a lower surgical risk and shorter recovery times than open approaches.

Professor Tim Briggs, NHS Director of Clinical Improvement and GIRFT Chair, said: “It’s great to see the teams at SaTH so engaged with the GIRFT programme.

“GIRFT aims to improve patient outcomes and ensure value for taxpayers, by reducing unwarranted variation in NHS services. We look forward to continuing to work with the trust to build on the success realised so far.”

GIRFT works with NHS trusts in England across 40 clinical specialties. The programme has already published eight national reports, making a wide range of recommendations into how services can be improved. For more information and to read the reports, visit www.gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk.