The Chapel Allerton Orthopaedic Centre (CHOC), part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, has won recognition for meeting top clinical and operational standards by a national inspection team.
The assessment means it is delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice, and gives assurance that the team is following best practice and working to a high standard.
CHOC is a dedicated centre for the diagnosis, management and treatment of adult patients with upper limb, hip and knee and foot and ankle complaints. It has outpatients, theatre services and diagnostics on site as well as associated specialist physiotherapy and occupational therapy. It has been specifically designed to provide excellent, comprehensive and rapid recovery care for patients.
The scheme, run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) and supported by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, assesses hubs against a framework of standards to help the team deliver some of the most common surgical procedures more quickly. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care.
The GIRFT team visited to evaluate five elements: the patient pathway, staff and training, clinical governance and outcomes, facilities and ring-fencing, and utilisation and productivity.
The accreditation team met with and spoke with colleagues at all levels in the team, across wards, theatres, management and more. They also walked the site to get a feel for the environment and culture, and were very impressed with the facilities.
Andy Bennett, Head of Nursing at Chapel Allerton Hospital, said: “We are very proud that our CHOC team has been nationally recognised in this way. They are an outstanding team. It’s testament to so much hard work and a clear focus on what’s best for our patients. There are lots of positives coming out of this accreditation along with some areas for further development.
Professor Hemant Pandit, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Clinical Director at the hospital, said: “A ring-fenced hub that allows elective operations to take place all year round, away from the acute pressures of our main hospital sites is a great asset for our patients. This means protected staff groups and elective beds, along with an increase in day case work through the hub which helps us be as productive as possible and supports the reduction in time our patients have to wait to receive their surgery.
“The accreditation of CHOC is the first step in a series of exciting developments at CHOC which will increase the number of operating theatres and wards, allowing us to deliver even more elective activity within a protected accredited facility.
“Thank you to everyone involved in the accreditation process – it was a lot of work but it’s absolutely been worth it.”