Super Saturdays and Mega Clinics at Westmoreland Street

Success in completing uro-oncology and andrology cases at Westmoreland Street shows key value of teamwork in reducing waiting times for cancer and non-cancer patients.

Multidisciplinary teams at Westmoreland Street recently completed 56 prostate biopsy cases over three ‘Super Saturdays’, while 180 outpatients were seen during a weekend ‘Mega Clinic’ in andrology. With limited outpatient and theatre space, putting on extra activity at weekends enabled the team to reduce patient wait times outside of a typical working week. 

To achieve this required careful and detailed planning. Administrators, operational managers, theatre staff, anaesthetic practitioners, pre-surgical assessment, recovery and day care teams, pharmacy, PERRT, medical (consultants, registrars and SHOs) and nursing staff were all required to ensure the weekends ran smoothly. 

Additional planning was required to identify the right patients to attend on the weekend. Planning had to factor in theatre space, recovery space and the availability of ward beds just in case any of the patients became unwell. Choosing the right patients could also ensure that the theatre list would be completed on time, with the staff and resources available. 

Super Saturdays and weekend clinics have a huge impact on patients as they allow us to reduce our waiting lists both for cancer patients (two-week waits) and non-cancer patients (18-week waits). 

By identifying and utilising opportunities such as these, we can address the backlog of outpatient appointments and elective surgeries created by the pandemic. Additionally, this coordinated effort can help to prevent waiting lists from building up further. 

Claire Humphreys, matron, said: "We were able to see a lot more patients than we would usually – to do the same during normal hours would require a few weeks in clinic. This means patients receive an appointment, or undergo a procedure, potentially three or four weeks sooner.” 

“Weekend work does have other benefits – patients are often more available and are more likely to have relatives or friends to support them, if needed. The hospitals themselves can also sometimes be quieter, which is a nicer experience for them. 

Following their success, it is hoped these can continue. Claire said: “We hope they will become more regular but recognise that they rely upon staff being available to work at weekends.” 

“We’d like to thank all colleagues involved for their dedication, and for demonstrating one of our core values – teamwork.”