Success of surgical hub where patients go home hours after new knee or hip op

A pioneering surgical hub is such a success that some patients who receive a replacement knee or hip can go home hours after their operation.

The efficiency at South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC) has also driven down waiting times for some planned operations at below the national average.

The hub is a unique partnership between four South West London Trusts and performs more than 6,000 procedures every year - including spinal and shoulder operations.

Based at Epsom Hospital, the hub operates six days a week – including evenings – and has a dedicated team of specialised surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and other healthcare staff who provide support to patients as soon as possible after their surgery.

Patients are encouraged to move about as soon as possible post-surgery and one in four who have had a hip or knee operation are able to go home the same day.

Once discharged, the patient’s recovery is monitored as they record their progress via video diaries which are reviewed by SWLEOC staff.

The recordings not only allow staff to watch their patients’ progress, but they can also flag any problems that can be treated by SWLEOC staff who know them and have treated them already rather than a GP, local pharmacist or Emergency Department, therefore supporting the wider local NHS, too.

The average length of stay at the hub is below the national average with 60% of hip and knee replacement patients going home the next day.

Patients are referred to SWLEOC predominately from the four south west London Trusts including St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, but the hub also works with other NHS Trusts further afield.

Dr Rebecca Suckling, Site Chief Medical Officer at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “SWLEOC is a great example of four Trusts working collaboratively to deliver efficient treatment for patients.

“By working six days a week and evenings, we have created a model that is successfully tackling our backlog while doing the right thing for patients in providing expert and individualised care.

“Allowing people to go home on the same day or the day after surgery – where clinically possible – is better for them as they are able to recover more quickly in the comfort of their home, which also enables us to see more patients.”