Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre optimises care for patients | News

The Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre at Maidstone Hospital was one of more than 100 elective surgical hubs across England joining forces last month to maximise efficiency and deliver high quality treatment to as many patients as possible

Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is an NHS England programme combining data analysis with the skills and knowledge of senior clinicians, to look at how things are done and how they could be improved - helping more patients get the care they need, more quickly.

Across England 109 hubs took part in GIRFT’s Hub Optimisation Week and the Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre (KMOC) is one of these hubs: a multimillion-pound theatre complex at Maidstone Hospital, which opened in 2024.

It has three operating theatres and 24 dedicated surgical beds for patients having planned orthopaedic surgery for conditions affecting the bones and joints.

The centre has already contributed at a national level by sharing its process for standby patients, ensuring any gaps caused by last minute cancellations are filled to maximise theatre space and time.

During the week all of the centre’s key metrics improved – including increased theatre utilisation and on time starts, and decreased cancellations on the day.

The team operated on almost 30% more patients than the average week, a result of close teamworking between the Clinical Administration Unit, pre-admission clinics, ward staff, theatre staff, therapies, surgeons and operational management.

The week included a 'high intensity theatre list' of 13 hip replacements in two operating theatres, led by Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Syed Ahmed.

Four of these patients were able to go home on the same day as their surgery. 

General Manager for Trauma and Orthopaedics, Alex De-Thabrew said: “I am so proud of the teams for their hard work and teamwork, in the weeks leading up and during hub optimisation week. They ensured our patients had a great experience, helped maximise efficiency and made sure our processes worked as well as possible.”

Mr Lee David, Clinical Director for Trauma and Orthopaedics said: "As a high-volume regional elective orthopaedic hub, KMOC continues to develop pathways that prioritise efficiency, patient safety and high-quality outcomes.

“Over recent weeks, our multidisciplinary teams have worked together to refine processes across the patient pathway, to maximise theatre utilisation and optimise enhanced recovery, minimising disruption from late cancellations and treating as many patients as we can, with the best care possible."