GIRFT report showcases orthopaedic success

Key aims for the programme were improvements in quality and outcomes. But the report said GIRFT had also supported the cumulative release of operational and financial opportunities of £696m over half a decade. These ’savings’ represent unnecessary activity avoided, bed days saved by reducing average length of stay and increasing the use of day case surgery. There have also been reductions in emergency readmissions, infection rates and litigation costs.

An estimated £165m was released in 2018/19 alone, with £72.6m from reduced activity. A reduction in litigation costs – valued at £67m over the life of the programme – was claimed to be a conservative estimate.

Average length of stay for elective hip replacements have fallen by 19% since 2013/14.

Other recommendations are also increasingly being put into effect. More trusts are enforcing the ringfencing of beds, many have adopted hot and cold sites and a growing number of implants used now have Orthopaedic Data Evaluation Panel ratings. The use of cemented or hybrid fixations in hip replacements for patients aged 70+ has almost reached the target of 80%.

Professor Tim Briggs (pictured), chair of GIRFT, which now covers 40 specialties, and clinical lead for orthopaedics, said the specialty had a lot to celebrate in tackling unwarranted variation. ‘But we know there are still huge opportunities out there,’ he said.