By: 1 October 2020
Perfect Week set to reduce patient waiting times in London boroughs

Care UK is working with Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust to radically reduce orthopaedic waiting lists in the boroughs by running a Perfect Week at the end of September.

Surgeons, anaesthetists, scrubs teams and administrators at Care UK’s North East London NHS Treatment Centre will work with surgeons and staff from the Trust for seven consecutive days to treat patients on orthopaedic surgical lists. They expect to conduct around 100 joint replacements – with some patients going home on the same day as their surgery – and a further 80-plus day case procedures.

Nurul Ahad, pictured, Care UK’s national head of orthopaedics and clinical lead at the North East London NHS Treatment Centre, said: “Throughout the pandemic we have worked closely and very successfully with our Trust colleagues on their trauma surgery here at the centre.

“As we all know, lockdown has had a significant impact on surgical waiting lists. We will be running joint replacement lists for seven consecutive days, with between 30 and 40 patients on our lists each day, lifting people out of the excruciating pain of worn joints.

“Care UK surgery teams around the country have been pioneering and perfecting hip and knee joint replacements as day surgeries, with great success and high patient satisfaction levels. We expect that around three or four patients each day of Perfect Week will be suitable candidates to return home on the day of surgery.

“The centre has formed part of the COVID-free pathway and we hope that by using more day surgery we further lessen the risk of infection for our patients.”

Hospital director Mark Gilmour said: “This is a huge challenge but a worthwhile one. It will lift many people out of pain, enabling them to get back to work, to caring for loved ones and to the hobbies they enjoy.

“We will use four of our five theatres at the treatment centre, operating for up to 12 hours a day. Two theatres will also be used at King George’s Hospital.

“And, although we will be focussing on operating on a high number of people, our NHS patients can be assured that they will receive the same high quality clinical standards, as well as the levels of care and dignity, they have come to expect from the North East London NHS Treatment Centre.”