The Productive Operating Theatre

This programme empowers staff to take control of their operating theatre and design it in the way which suits their patients and focuses on improving their outcomes.   The Productive Operating Theatre is based on global best practice, and looks at eliminating errors, having systems for briefing and debriefing, and learning from near misses.

It will provide your organisation with an opportunity to dramatically improve the quality and safety of surgical services and make significant efficiency savings.

The programme's success lies in the fact that the theatre teams themselves identify problems to work on, and they then implement the solutions, so the changes are not only much more relevant to them, but also more likely to be sustained. 

The Productive Operating Theatre is currently being implemented in England, Wales, Scotland and New Zealand.

Benefits and outcomes

Working with our international partners, the key impacts which have been identified include:

• The introduction of briefing and debriefing, along with the WHO checklist, has improved the safety culture and allowed lists to run more smoothly, safely and with fewer errors.
• Financial savings can be made by eliminating waste and making processes more efficien.
• Improved communication between theatre staff contributes to safer and more efficient working practices, and reduces error.
• Improved start time and turnaround, session uptake and utilisation, and staff wellbein.
• Time wasted searching for equipment is reduced, and real time operational status boards help co-ordinate staff and lists.

"Theatres represent one of the single biggest productivity opportunities in any acute trust. Even if you think your theatres are working well, the productivity benefits of The Productive Operating Theatre, very quickly add up."

The programme explained

The programme uses learning from industry, and introduces new safety protocols to reduce the risk of harm in the operating theatre:

• Module handbooks, activities and simple tools combine with train-the-trainer support supplied by the NHS Institute Worldwide.

• One by one, specific operating theatre areas and processes (e.g. Well Organised Theatre, Patient Preparation, Teamworking - see the visual Module House) are reviewed using a very structured approach, and improvements are tested and implemented.

• Productive Operating Theatre gives staff the information, skills and time they need to regain control of their work environment and improve the care they provide.

• The programme creates a framework for improvements - it helps to identifies issues and make appropriate changes from individual theatres scaling up to whole healthcare systems.

• There are quick achievements in the programme which in turn create enthusiasm and energy for further improvement work.