OUH safety innovation shortlisted for prestigious national awards
10/07/2024
A life-saving OUH initiative to manage post-operative bleeding has been shortlisted in two categories of the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Safety Awards.
The SCOOP Protocol for emergency management of neck haematoma following thyroid surgery was developed to manage and mitigate the risks associated with post-operative bleeding.
This protocol, now internationally recognised, has become a cornerstone in national guidelines and has been shortlisted in the Deteriorating Patients and Rapid Response Initiative of the Year and Patient Safety Education and Training Award categories of the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.
The Endocrine Surgery team at OUH created SCOOP in 2017, a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to managing post-surgery bleeds, following a tragic death.
Bleeding after an operation is a well-recognised risk faced by patients undergoing any type of surgery. In most cases bleeding is self-limited, however neck surgery has added complications because of the impact of a haematoma on the airway. If not recognised early and treated promptly, it can unfortunately lead to death.
The SCOOP protocol's impact extends beyond Oxford, with over 200 staff trained locally and its adoption promoted nationally by organisations such as the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons (BAETS) and ENT-UK. The Difficult Airway Society (DAS) has contributed to its spread across the UK and across Europe.
Shad Khan, Consultant Endocrine Surgeon and SCOOP lead at OUH, said: "This is really wonderful news. The principle of SCOOP is to train a doctor or nurse at any grade to recognise this life-threatening neck bleed, and use the protocol to safely remove any blood clots at the bedside and allow the patient to breathe once again.
"A post-operative neck bleed is a time critical emergency, and rapid action saves lives. By empowering all of our staff to recognise this clinical scenario, it allows them to act swiftly regardless of their grade or experience.
"SCOOP has significantly improved team communication, confidence, and performance in emergency situations, and we've successfully managed 12 critical cases since 2018 without further incident. I'm really grateful to everyone involved particularly Dr Sally Sheils and the OxSTaR team who have helped in training so many staff via their aware winning simulator suite in OUH as well as internationally."
Dr Andrew Brent, Chief Medical Officer at OUH, said: "I'd like to say a huge congratulations to all involved in the development of SCOOP.
"Patient safety is at the very heart of everything we do here at OUH, and any innovation or protocol that enhances and improves that is something we wholeheartedly support. The clear impact of SCOOP, both locally and internationally, demonstrates its effectiveness and the impact it has on not only patients, but clinical staff too."
Good luck to all involved!