Presentations 2020: OMFS

338 - Opportunities to improve cost efficiency within the NHS: a review of minor oral surgery practices in a multi centred trail.

William Walters Timothy Collins
Presented by: William Walters
Royal Gwent Hospital

Background and Introduction: The National Health Service (NHS) faces huge financial pressures, which will likely remain if not worsen in the current political climate. Clinical institutions literally cannot afford to continue spending at the current rate. This compels a culture encouraging critical appraisal of practices in developing a more cost-effective and efficient service. As institutions and individuals, it is incumbant upon us to assess our own current practice(s) and identify where savings can be made while maintaining the quality and safety of patient care. The goal of this project was to analyse how minor oral surgery (MOS) procedures were performed within two departments and alter practice to reduce expenditure, specifically regarding theatre attire. Currently, surgeons wear full theatre gowns for all MOS procedures including hard and soft tissue biopsies, non-surgical and surgical exodontia. Methods and Strategy: Discussions took place with all departmental consultant surgeons. The concensus was that for all MOS procedures performed in our day surgery unit (DSU), excuding skins cases, full theatre gowning was not required. Sterile gloves were recommended due to superior tactile feedback vs sterility in what is a non-sterile surgical field. Two prospective cohorts of 100 patients were included in this project, who were then followed-up to assess for comparative post-op infection rates. Results: No significant difference in post-op infection was observed. Discussion and Conclusions: A conservative estimate of £6000 equivalent annual saving was achieved. These simple changes demonstrate that reviewing current practices can bring about safe, significant and sustainable savings.
Consent Statement: There are no details on individual patients reported within the abstract.

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