High volume short stay surgery is defined as planned surgery or procedures requiring admission up to 72 hours. It includes day only and extended day only surgery.
Benefits
- Predictable access to surgical services
- Standardised patient care with better patient outcomes
- Efficient use of hospital resources
Features
- Defined care protocols into and out of the service
- A system of effective communication to handover patient care to their general practitioner or other relevant community services
- Defined case-mix of procedures and services
- Performed by qualified consultant surgeons and with trainees under consultant supervision
- Clear and safe inclusion or exclusion criteria for the unit
- Expected length of stay for all cases is no more than three bed days
- Streamlined pre-admission assessment and preparation
- Designated operating theatres and beds
- Dedicated staff that are allocated to high volume short stay surgical unit only
- Clearly defined procedures for the management of any unplanned or untoward circumstance
- Enhanced predictability of surgery with no interruptions from emergency surgery
- Dedicated recurrent funding related to a case mix model.
Resources
High volume short stay surgical model toolkit (GL2012_001)
Key features of the model, processes for service delivery, staff roles, diagnosis related groups suitable for HVSSS, key success factors, benefits and the steps for implementation of the model.
Extended day only admission model (GL2020_023)
Advice on the model and the specific diagnosis related groups that should be routinely considered for this service model.