Author: Dr Carolyn Johnston, Clinical Lead on the Improving Timeliness to Emergency Laparotomy Project (THIS Collaboration)
The time taken for patients to get to the emergency operating theatre remains a stubborn problem despite many years of research and national guidance emphasising the importance of prompt surgery to reduce morbidity and mortality.
We are using new methods to tackle this problem, so we can improve outcomes for our sickest patients. Over the last year, we’ve been working to understand some of the underlying reasons for delays in emergency general surgery.