Urology staff at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust pulled out all the stops to see more than 100 patients at a special Super Saturday diagnostic and consultation clinic at the weekend (8 March).
The Trust’s Urology service ran the streamlined ‘one-stop’ diagnostic and consultation service at Westwood Park Diagnostic and Treatment Centre with the support of three consultants, four doctors, 11 nurses, advanced clinical practitioners and administrative teams.
The team effort helps reduce the Urology first appointment waiting list times for patients and helps to improve the whole pathway and allow people to get treatment quicker.
Urology includes the treatment of diseases and conditions of the kidneys, bladder and prostate, including incontinence, impotence, infertility, cancer and reconstruction of the genito-urinary tract, it caters for both men and women of all ages.
During their appointment, patients obtained a diagnosis (where possible), were referred for surgery or other treatment, or were discharged with advice on self-care, where applicable. Thirty patients had diagnostic cystoscopies at the same premises on the day.
This has been a brilliant effort, and we’ve had great feedback from patients who attended,
said Aisha Mirza, Service Manager for Urology and Vascular services, who played a key role in coordinating the day and was also present to support the smooth running of the clinic.
It has been a hugely successful event and has had a big impact on our Urology waiting times. I’m very proud of my colleagues who have worked extremely hard in planning and delivering this Super Saturday to be able to see so many patients in one day.
Senior General Manager for Surgery and Digestive Diseases, Rob Guest, said:
This will benefit many urology patients and is a good example of new ways in which the NHS can work collectively together to deliver good care and helping to ease waiting list pressures.
Super Saturdays are a fantastic way for us to accelerate patient access to vital care, making sure that more people receive the diagnostics and consultations they need without unnecessary delays. It’s another example of how we’re innovating to provide our patients with the care they deserve when they need it most.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Trust to adopt innovative ways of improving patient access to specialist care and follows a strong performance over the winter period.
Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at the Trust, Saj Azeb, said:
The latest figures for the Emergency Care Standard (ECS) show that the Trust achieved 82%, ranking first among hospital trusts in West Yorkshire, fourth in the North East and Yorkshire region, and tenth nationally.
While below the national standard of 95%, this performance exceeds NHS England’s 78% target and is significantly higher than the regional average of 69.6%. This achievement highlights the Trust’s commitment to delivering high-quality emergency care despite winter pressures.