Getting It Right First Time

GIRFT Logo.jpg

The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a national programme designed to improve the quality of care within the NHS by reducing unnecessary variations in service. By sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings. Led by frontline clinicians who are experts in the areas they are reviewing, the GIRFT team visit every trust carrying out the specialties they are reviewing, investigating the data with their peers and discussing the individual challenges they face.

History and Background

GIRFT began as a pilot within orthopaedic surgery led by orthopaedic surgeon Professor Tim Briggs, during the time he was president of the BOA, and hosted by the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust (RNOH). Following the success of the pilot, the GIRFT methodology is being rolled out across 35 surgical and medical specialties and is now a partnership between the RNOH and NHS Improvement (NHSI).

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.

After the pilot, an NHSI a survey of more than 70 trusts found total savings of up to £30m for 2014/15 and a further £20m forecast for 2015/16 because of adopting GIRFT’s recommendations. If extrapolated across the more than 140 providers visited these savings would be almost £100m.

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.

 

GIRFT Report - March 2015

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