The Surrey Surgical Centre at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been successfully accredited for delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice as part of a national quality assessment scheme, just 14 months after opening.
The scheme, run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and supported by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, assesses surgical hubs against a framework of standards to help hubs deliver faster access to some of the most common surgical procedures such as cataract surgeries and hip replacements. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care.
The Surrey Surgical Centre, based at Ashford Hospital, is one of 83 hubs to date that have been accredited. There are 125 hub sites currently in operation in England. The accreditation scheme has been running since March 2023 with quarterly cohorts to accredit all hubs. While it is not mandatory for trusts to seek accreditation, the long-term goal is for every elective hub to be accredited.
Surgical hubs, which are separated from emergency services, are part of plans nationally to increase capacity for elective care with more dedicated operating theatres and beds. They bring together the skills and expertise of staff under one roof, with protected facilities and theatres, helping to deliver shorter waits for surgery. Because they are separated from emergency services, their surgical beds can be kept free for patients waiting for planned operations, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations.
The Surrey Surgical Centre has been accredited for its orthopaedic planned care, recognising that the hub is working to a defined set of clinical and operational standards on:
- The patient pathway
- Staff and training
- Clinical governance and outcomes
- Facilities and ring-fencing
- Utilisation and productivity
Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “This accreditation recognises the strength of The Surrey Surgical Centre and the consistent standards our teams are delivering. This achievement is a testament to the skill, commitment and teamwork of colleagues across the service, and reflects a clear focus on safe, efficient care and improving outcomes for patients.”
Professor Tim Briggs, GIRFT programme lead and NHS England’s National Director for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery, said: “We have been impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm of the hub teams who are delivering outstanding care.
“All of the sites we accredited are focused on delivering safe and high-quality care, and an excellent patient experience. GIRFT’s focus is on developing surgical hubs with the aim of improving patient flow so that patients have shorter waits for surgery and, for some procedures, will be more likely to be able to go home on the same day.”
The Surrey Surgical Centre provides increased capacity for elective orthopaedic procedures including hip and knee replacement surgery. The service is a collaboration between Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust with NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board, and has been developed to provide additional surgical resources to benefit the people of Surrey.
For more information about The Surrey Surgical Centre, please visit
www.ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk/surrey-surgical-centre
