Audit Commission

Summary [Download full report below this summary]

Operating theatres play a central part in the modern NHS and they are often portrayed at the leading edge of medical science. Advances in technology and the expertise of surgeons make it possible to achieve good outcomes with conditions that were considered inoperable not long ago. Over three million operations are performed in an average year in theatres in England and Wales.

This short report summarises District Audit's review of operating theatre efficiency. We have visited 70 trusts, and whilst what follows does not reflect practices at every hospital in England and Wales, it does provide a sufficiently clear picture for publication to be justified at this time. Our aims are to highlight the common problems encountered by operating theatre managers, and to use examples of good practice to illustrate how some trusts have overcome them.

Included in this report:

• information - what do you need to know to run operating theatres?
• performance - what did we find in our reviews?
• getting better - what are the best performers doing right?

Get the full study 

Download the full national study in PDF format below. This study contains all our findings and recommendations.

Bulletin ( PDF, 289kb )

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