Our Pre Assessment Clinic, which reviews all adult patients having elective surgery under a General, Regional or Spinal anaesthetic, has been making a few changes after listening to patient feedback.
The Pre Assessment team aim to prepare patients, physically, emotionally and socially for what to expect before, during and after their operation. They look to identify any risk factors and to minimise these through good communication, careful planning and shared decision making between the multidisciplinary team and the patient. The Pre Assessment team also have an important role in reducing ‘on the day’ cancellations in theatre as patients are usually seen in the Clinic around two weeks before their surgery so any issues should be identified at that time.
Like many services provided at our hospital, there has been a growing demand on the Pre Assessment Clinic as we work to reduce waiting lists for surgery, and recent changes have seen the Pre-Operative Assessment Service working towards being fully nurse–led.
Pre Assessment Clinic Nurse Practitioner Zoe Lawn said; “A large part of what we do is to reassure patients who may feel anxious about their planned surgery; to let them know what to expect from their hospital admission, surgery and recovery and to help patients optimise their health before their surgery so that are at less risk of complications and they recover more quickly. Our nursing staff are highly knowledgeable and skilled in risk identification, problem solving and critical thinking, and they work autonomously to manage their own clinics each day whilst also being a friendly, supportive team.”
Our Nurse Practitioners have undertaken Enhanced Clinical Assessment and Independent Prescribers training and are now able to perform clinical assessment, clerk patients and prescribe any necessary medications – a role that traditionally would have been carried out by junior doctors. This has meant a reduction in the amount of time patients spend in clinic and means that junior doctors can utilise their time more efficiently on our wards.
Another recent small and simple change meanwhile is expected to significantly enhance patient privacy. A curtain has been installed in our ECG (Electrocardiogram) room following patient feedback.
Zoe said; “We love getting positive feedback and we receive lots from patients who are pleased that they have been made to feel welcomed, informed, put at ease, listened to and treated with respect and kindness. This is always passed on to our team but we also use any negative feedback or incidents reported as learning opportunities to improve practice and patient experience. We do not receive many comments on how we could improve our service, however one suggestion made recently by a patient was to have a more private space for ECGs, so we have had a curtain installed in the room to provide more privacy and dignity for our patients who require an ECG.”
If you are using the Pre Assessment Clinic you will be asked to complete a Well Being Questionnaire (WBQ) – a health survey which patients complete when are put on the list for surgery. This helps the team plan more effectively for when you are admitted and referrals to be made where appropriate – for example to the Diabetes Peri-operative Nursing Service - so advice, medication and follow up tests can be arranged ahead of surgery. These all aim to ensure you are as fit and healthy as possible before your operation.
