An audit of UK laparoscopic surgery has revealed that while 49% of operating theatres meet sufficient equipment standards, only 15% of theatres meet the highest levels of equipment safety and design.
The Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ALSGBI) found that 85% of hospitals do not yet have ‘fully integrated’ theatres which could make surgery more efficient and safer for patients. More than one in five hospitals (22%) do not have high-definition imaging screens readily available. Despite HD being the norm for domestic televisions, some hospitals are still using obsolete imaging screens for complex operations. The surgical view on the screen is less clear and the colour resolution is impaired, making the surgeon’s job more difficult. Professor Timothy Rockall, president of the ALSGBI, said: “It is worrying that surgeons are still having to use equipment which may limit the operations they can perform safely. You can’t buy a non-HD television on the high street even if you wanted to and yet in our hospitals we see old and poor quality television screens being used for complex operations. We hope the result of this audit encourages surgeons and management to discuss upgrading their equipment to improve standards and to reassure patients that the best service is being provided.” The National Audit of Theatre Equipment 2012 surveyed 206 hospitals across Great Britain and Ireland and graded respondents ‘Bronze’, ‘Silver’ or ‘Gold’. The audit asked hospitals to outline the age, standard and type of equipment and how their equipment was powered and maintained. It found that:
• 49% of hospitals scored Gold, 33% scored Silver and 13% scored Bronze.
• 17% of hospitals did not have a programme in place for the upgrade, replacement or maintenance of laparoscopic equipment.
• 9% of hospitals were not using modern energy sources for their equipment e.g. ultrasound dissection.
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