In 2012, Professor Tim Briggs published a report entitled ‘Getting it right first time’ (GIRFT) which considers the current state of England’s orthopaedic surgery provision and suggests that changes can be made to improve pathways of care, patient experience, and outcomes with significant cost savings. The report takes the view that this approach has the potential to deliver a timely and cost effective improvement in the standard of orthopaedic care across England.
The pilot seeks to support the delivery of the following objectives in respect of patients receiving elective orthopaedic treatments:
- Improved patient experience
- Re-empowering clinicians
- Improved patient safety
- Better outcomes in terms of joint longevity, infection – SSI and acquired, complications, readmissions and mortality
- Significant savings for the taxpayer from reduced complications and infections, readmissions, length of stay and litigation; better directed care pathways; reduction in loan kit costs; and the introduction of evidence based procurement and procedure selection.
This project is one of the key strands of the the BOA’s Practice Strategy, and more information about the GIRFT pilot can be found here.
A national review of adult elective orthopaedic services in England
The GIRFT report reviews current practices and outcomes of NHS hospitals providing orthopaedic surgery in England, to identify and quantify variation in clinical outcomes, processes, patient experience, patient pathways, network arrangements, financial impacts and waiting times.
The report builds on Professor Tim Briggs’ original research in 2012 which suggested ways in which extensive savings and improvements could be made in elective orthopaedics by hospitals to ensure continuing high quality care and access for patients within the financial constraints of the NHS.
NHS England funded the GIRFT pilot as a national professional pilot across England. The project was hosted on behalf of the BOA, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore.
The full report and supporting documents can be downloaded below.
GIRFT Scotland
