Surgical teams in the Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre (KMOC) completed their first High Intensity Theatre (HIT) list for hip replacements on 9 January, with Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Syed Ahmed performing seven operations in one day.

The centre – which opened in September at Maidstone Hospital, part of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) – treats patients from across Kent and Medway, and has three operating theatres and 24 dedicated surgical beds for patients having non-emergency orthopaedic surgery for arthritic conditions and soft tissue injuries affecting the bones and joints.

Using the HIT list approach in the state-of-the-art theatre complex minimises turnaround time between operations, giving the surgeon as much time as possible to operate. This allows the surgical team to treat more patients efficiently and safely in just one operating theatre.

Planning involves a large team, including the clinical administration unit who support the surgical team to select suitable patients and make sure everything is ready so the day runs smoothly, cancellations are avoided and no theatre time is wasted.

Mr Ahmed uses a minimally-invasive technique meaning less pain after the hip replacement operation and a shorter recovery time. The expertise of the anaesthetic team helps make sure patients are awake, and on their feet, as soon as possible after surgery, and patients are supported by an expert team including pharmacists, radiographers, occupational therapists and physiotherapists

Mr Ahmed said: “the day ran incredibly smoothly thanks to the work of the whole team, and we were delighted to see all the patients returning home within 24 hours, to continue their recovery. This means beds are available for other patients to have life-changing orthopaedic surgery.

“The Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre has an exclusive focus on orthopaedic surgery, meaning we can treat more patients, more quickly. We look forward to building on the success of this first high intensity list, and aim to consistently perform at the highest level on NHS Getting It Right First time (GIRFT) metrics of clinical outcome, patient experience and productivity.”