Unwarranted variation and the goal of net zero for the NHS in England: exploring the link between efficiency working, patient outcomes and carbon footprint.

In 2020 the NHS in England set a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Progress has already been made towards this goal, with substantial reductions in the use of environmentally harmful anaesthetic gases, such as desflurane, in recent years. Where an effective replacement already exists, changing practice to use low carbon alternatives is relatively easy to achieve, but much greater challenges lie ahead. The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a clinically-led, data-driven clinical improvement initiative with a focus on reducing unwarranted variation in clinical practice and patient outcomes. Reducing unwarranted variation can improve patient care and service efficiency, and can also support the drive to net zero. In this article we set out what the GIRFT programme is doing to support sustainable healthcare in England, why it is uniquely positioned to support this goal and what the future challenges, barriers, enablers and opportunities are likely to be in the drive to net zero.

Carbon savings associated with changing surgical trends in total knee arthroplasty in England: a retrospective observational study using administrative data.

BACKGROUND: Best practice pathways for common surgical procedures, including total knee arthroplasty (TKA), have the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce carbon emissions. We aimed to estimate the reduction in carbon emissions due to changing trends in the care of patients undergoing TKA in England. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics data from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2022 on adults undergoing elective primary TKA in England. The carbon footprint for each patient was calculated using carbon factors for multiple steps in the pathway, including ipsilateral knee arthroscopies in the year preceding the TKA, outpatient attendances, the index TKA, revisions of the TKA performed within 180 days of the index procedure, length of hospital stay and emergency readmissions. RESULTS: A total of 648,861 TKA operations were identified. Over the study period, the median length of stay reduced from four to three days, the proportion of patients undergoing ipsilateral knee arthroscopies performed within a year before TKA surgery fell from 5.9% to 0.5% and the number of early revisions and emergency readmissions also fell. The per-patient carbon footprint reduced from 378.8kgCO2e to 295.2kgCO2e over this time. If all the study patients had the same carbon footprint as the average patient in 2021/2022, 32.4kilotons CO2e would have been saved, enough to power 29,509 UK homes for one year. CONCLUSIONS: Practices that were introduced primarily to improve patient outcomes can contribute to a reduction in the carbon footprint.

Parental acceptability of pediatric forearm manipulations in a UK district hospital emergency department.

Purpose: Pediatric forearm fractures are a common presentation to Accident and Emergency departments. Standard treatment for the majority of these is manipulation under sedation within the department, followed by cast application. Concerns have been raised about the acceptability of such interventions, and reluctance to perform these procedures has led to increased admissions and manipulations performed under general anesthetic. Methods: A prospective case series of all pediatric patients with forearm fractures who underwent a manipulation under sedation in the Accident and Emergency department was collected over 12 months. All parents were invited to complete an acceptability questionnaire, adapted from the Swedish Pyramid Questionnaire for Treatment, based on their experiences. Results: A total of 77 patients were included and their parents were asked to complete a Swedish Pyramid Questionnaire of Treatment. Forty-four parents (55%) agreed to fill out the questionnaire. Patient demographics and fracture characteristics were compared between the group that responded and those that did not, with no significant differences. Average level of satisfaction was 9.4/10 (range = 7-10). 98% of respondents were satisfied with the level of analgesia provided, but only 86% with the timeliness of administration. Conclusion: This parent-focused evaluation of treatment confirms high levels of parental satisfaction with the management of pediatric forearm fractures in Accident and Emergency, with regard to care, analgesia, and information. It provides insights about parental concern relating to the injury and their anxiety as information useful to further improving care, a template for assessing quality improvement and should be considered as part of further studies in this field. Level of evidence: Level IV case series.