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These Day Surgery resources have been developed to support NHS Scotland Boards to increase day surgery and short stay surgery rates.

Day Surgery Stakeholder Group

This multi-disciplinary group was established with the aim of further embedding day surgery in NHS Scotland.

The group aims to better understand and address the variation in current day surgery rates and to identify opportunities to further embed day surgery to provide benefits for patients and support the NHS Scotland Recovery Plan.

Common themes to achieve these aims are:

  • Utilise exclusion rather than inclusion criteria, i.e. assuming patients are suitable for day surgery unless social, medical or surgical criteria require an overnight stay –“ Day Surgery as the Norm”
  • Provide safe and effective pre-operative assessment processes
  • Focus on pre-habilitation

As a result of the group, work has been progressed with regards to an evidence based competency framework to support criteria-led discharge processes and a career pathway to provide a dedicated and skilled day surgery workforce and support recruitment and retention of experienced personnel (see relevant sections below).

Day Surgery Blueprints

A generic day surgery blueprint has been produced with a view to being further developed into procedure specific blueprints.

Day Surgery Blueprint [PDF]

Arthroplasty Blueprint

The first procedure specific blueprint has been developed in collaboration with the Arthroplasty Rehabilitation in Scotland Endeavour (ARISE) programme.

It provides a guide on how to implement day surgery arthroplasty and incorporates:

  • Definitions of day surgery and recommended length of stay distributions.
  • Work that has been progressed by ARISE and their care protocol for same day primary total hip/knee or unicompartmental knee surgery.
  • Key steps, principles and enablers.
  • Best practice examples and templates.
  • Useful ‘hints and tips’ from arthroplasty teams across Scotland and England.

Arthroplasty Day Surgery Blueprint [PDF]

Future Blueprints

The next procedure specific blueprint to be developed will be for total laparoscopic hysterectomy, which is being developed by the Gynaecology Specialty Delivery Group.

Criteria-led Discharge

These groups have nearly completed their work. Outputs will be shared widely and implementation via NHS Boards supported by the CfSD Specialty Delivery Groups.

Criteria Led Discharge: Clinical Competency Workbook’

A short life working group with cross board multi professional membership was convened to support the delivery of high quality, safe, effective, person centred care, integral to Day Surgery care.

The group was tasked with exploring the potential of expanding Criteria Led Discharge for day surgery in health boards across Scotland.

One of the key outputs from this group is the ‘Day Surgery: Criteria Led Discharge for Registered Practitioners Clinical Competence Workbook’.

Day Surgery: Criteria Led Discharge for Registered Practitioners Clinical Competence Workbook [PDF]

Day Surgery: Criteria Led Discharge for Registered Practitioners Clinical Competence Workbook [Word]

Other resources

Further resources including a series of day surgery videos are also available on the Turas version of this page:

https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/4237

The following are also useful websites and resources:

GIRFT National Day Surgery Delivery Pack

NSS Discovery (BADS Dashboard)

British Association of Day Surgery (BADS)

Further information

For further information on Day Surgery, or to get involved in any of the groups above contact gjnh.cfsdpmo@gjnh.scot.nhs.uk.