Wes Streeting backs ‘production-line’ surgery hubs to cut NHS waiting lists

A surgery in progress: Four medics wear blue disposable suits and hairnets and train their implements on a patient who cannot be seen
NHS surgeons at work: Stand-alone hubs can carry out more procedures more quickly - Christopher Furlong/Getty

Wes Streeting has backed the rollout of “production-line” surgery hubs to boost NHS operations by a fifth.

Research published on Thursday showed that stand-alone centres carrying out simple surgeries – such as cataract or hip surgeries – dramatically increased productivity.

The findings comes ahead of an independent report on the health service which is expected to lay bare major inefficiencies in hospitals when it is published next week.

The Health Secretary said the hubs, run by 31 NHS trusts serving around one quarter of the population, were a “shining example” of innovation that should be rolled out more widely.

Mr Streeting talks to two GPs whose faces are not seen
Wes Streeting said the NHS was 'broken' earlier this year - Jacob King/PA

Mr Streeting told The Telegraph: “We want to take the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS, so it can be there for all of us when we need it.

“Surgical hubs are a shining example of how we can use groundbreaking, innovative practices already happening in the NHS to speed up treatments and bring down the unacceptable waiting lists we have inherited.

“We are urgently seeking to identify and replicate more productive ways of working across the health service, to get better value for taxpayers’ money and give all patients the care they deserve.”

Beds ring-fenced

The stand-alone hubs are separate to hospital A&E departments, with beds ring-fenced so operations are less likely to be cancelled because a bed is needed for an emergency case.

They focus on simple procedures which can be done in high volumes, such as cataract operations; hip and knee replacements; gynaecology; ear, nose and throat procedures; and hernia removal.

The new research by The Health Foundation found that trusts which tested the hubs undertook 22 per cent more operations in their first year of operation than would previously have been expected.

Across England, the 31 trusts were able to carry out 29,000 more procedures than expected. The hubs were also associated with shorter stays in hospital, with production-line methods speeding up the throughput of cases.

Experts said new models which mean patients are less likely to have their care disrupted because of pressures on A&E could be key to to driving down NHS waiting lists.

In June this year, the waiting list stood at 7.6 million cases (6.4 million people), of which 1.2 million cases were elective surgeries.

More than 100 of the surgical hubs are already operating, with a further 26 due to open by the end of 2025.

Call for extra funding

The Royal College of Surgeons has been pushing for the rollout of the hubs, which began being introduced more widely during the pandemic. Tim Mitchell, the college’s president, welcomed the research and called for extra funding to “turbocharge” their expansion.

Charles Tallack, director of data analytics at The Health Foundation, said: “Our research provides the first robust causal evidence that elective surgical hubs can significantly increase the number of patients treated and reduce the length of time they spend in hospital.

He said the research suggests surgical hubs could play “an important role” in reducing waiting lists.

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Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Dedicated staff and resources in NHS surgical hubs can drive down waiting times, increase procedures and benefit patients.

“But with waiting lists rising for the third month in a row, trust leaders know that they need significant investment … if they’re going to make a real dent in waiting times for patients.”

Independent investigation

Mr Streeting has deployed surgeon and former Labour minister Lord Darzi to lead the independent investigation, with instructions to provide a “raw and honest” assessment.

The peer has expressed impatience at the way the health service uses its resources. Earlier this year, he argued that the NHS must perform operations seven days a week, saying: “British Airways does not leave its planes on the tarmac over the weekend.”

Ahead of the election, Mr Streeting announced plans to increase the number of staff working evenings and weekends, in order to cut waiting lists. Half of NHS hospitals close their operating theatres at weekends.