For Patients

What is Perioperative Care?

Perioperative care is about tracking your journey as a patient from the moment you are considered for referral for treatment from your GP to recovery, to an operation/treatment and being discharged back home.

Following your journey as a patient means that teams of professionals can make sure you are as fit as possible for surgery and manage any other conditions you may have to ensure that after your operation/treatment you can recover as quickly as possible, reduce the risks of having complications that mean you would need to stay in hospital longer, reduce your quality of life and delay returning home to daily life.

From the start of the journey, you should be involved in decisions about your care. You have a choice about what treatment is right for you based on your individual circumstances and what is important to you. Up to 14% of patients express regret going ahead with surgery so it is very important you are sure this is the treatment option you would like to pursue. 

What are the benefits to you?

Our CPOC Evidence Reviews have shown that perioperative care improves your patient experience of care, including the quality of care you receive, satisfaction with care, improve your overall health and helps get you return to home/work after your operation quicker by reducing your risks after an operation.

• Improved wellbeing
• Improved psychological outcomes
• Fewer post operation complications
• Decreased hospital length of stay
• Fewer hospital readmissions after discharge
• Better quality of care

Perioperative care is about improving the care you receive for your benefit.

You have a choice to decide what treatment is right for you

You have a choice to decide if the suggested treatment is the right option for you. Your doctor should practice Shared decision making (SDM) where you work with your clinical team to decide what is important to you and if the suggested treatment option is right for you. This may be to select a test or intervention such as going ahead with surgery. SDM ensures you are supported to make decisions for you. 

Find out more and view our shared decision making page.

CPOC is in the process of launching dedicated webpages and resources to the top topics we feel can most improve perioperative care for patients.

Please see our pages on stopping smoking, nutrition and exercise. Others will follow shortly on alcohol consumption and mental wellbeing.

On 18 June 2024, CPOC hosted its first ever patient and pubic facing webinar focused on the needs of the patient within a framework of perioperative care. Attendance was good with representatives from patients, patient organisations and healthcare professionals. Click here for the summary of the event.