Today CPOC has published, perhaps for the first time on this scale, comprehensive evidence that the perioperative pathway is associated with higher quality clinical outcomes, reduced financial cost and better satisfaction for surgical patients. This triad is the holy grail of healthcare. Findings from a major review of over 27,000 studies reveal that perioperative care:

1.    reduces length of in-patient stays by an average of 1-2 days
2.    reduces complication rates after surgery by 30-80%
3.    reduces the need for post-surgery intensive care
4.    supports people to feel well sooner, reducing the costs of care, and societal costs 
5.    improves how prepared patients feel for surgery
6.    increases how empowered and satisfied patients are with their care 
7.    improves communication between surgical patients and their health teams.

Dr David Selwyn, CPOC Director, said: 

“Never has there been so important a moment to institute rapid large-scale transformational change. For the 250,000 high-risk patients with complex needs having surgery each year, the likelihood of further deterioration in their health and of post-surgery complications has now increased exponentially. With 50% of NHS hospital costs accounted for by just 7% of in-patients with complex needs, so the costs of care are also increasing.”  

“However, there is cause for optimism. The pandemic has catalysed rapid innovation, greater system working and recognition that the needs of surgical patients matter more than the silos of medical specialities or institutions. Multidisciplinary perioperative care offers an important part of the solution to COVID-era health and care transformation.” 

CPOC is working cross-sector to realise a number of immediate opportunities to embed perioperative care into routine clinical practice, and making the case for greater investment to develop and evaluate perioperative pathways. We can use the skills and resources that already exist and work differently to provide an optimised, integrated, pathway for surgical patients. Our new evidence proves the case.