Perioperative care – The ‘Holy Grail of healthcare’

Summary

The Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) has now published, perhaps for the first time on this scale, comprehensive evidence that the perioperative pathway is associated with higher quality clinical outcomes, reduced financial cost and better satisfaction for surgical patients. This triad is the holy grail of healthcare.

Dr David Selwyn, Director of the Centre for Perioperative Care, and Mr Mark Weiss, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Royal College of Anaesthetists have written this blog in line with CPOC's own rapid research review that highlights the impact of perioperative care and their pioneering new evidence.

"Now is the time to ensure that every surgical patient’s journey is delivered along a single, coordinated care pathway, supported by an appropriate multi-professional team. Now is the time to deliver seamless communication and collaboration between primary, secondary and community care. Now is the time to review our patient flows and how we counsel and prepare patients for surgery. And now is the time to empower patients through shared decision-making and personalised care, and to change the postoperative course with emphasis on enhanced recovery. "