Streamlining the hernia pathway at Princess Alexandra Hospital

Staff at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow set out to streamline their hernia procedures, as the pathway had long waiting lists and required patients to attend the hospital multiple times. They hoped to make the pathway more efficient and ensure they were delivering good value for money.

The team developed a model intended to compare a service’s volume with cost and level of risk, called a Volume, Cost and Risk (VCR) model. Using this model, they then completed a process map of the hernia pathway, identified steps that were not adding any value, and tried to limit or remove them.

Now, hernia patients have to attend fewer appointments and 55% of them can be listed for a procedure at their initial visit without having to return for a scan first. Read more about the team’s work here.