UCLH Grafton Way Elective Surgical Hub receives GIRFT accreditation

We’re delighted to announce that our Grafton Way Elective Surgical Hub has been successfully accredited as an elective surgical hub delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice.

The accreditation scheme, run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, assesses hubs against a framework of standards to help them deliver faster access to some of the most common surgical procedures, such as oral and orthopaedic surgeries. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care. 

Surgical hubs, which are separated from emergency services, are part of national plans to increase capacity for elective care with more dedicated operating theatres and beds.  

The hubs exclusively perform planned surgery and mainly focus on high volume, low complexity (HVLC) surgery across six specialties - ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ear nose and throat, and urology.  

They bring together the skills and expertise of staff under one roof, with protected facilities and theatres, helping to deliver shorter waits for surgery. Because they are separated from emergency services, their surgical beds can be kept free for patients waiting for planned operations, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations. 

The UCLH Grafton Way Elective Surgical Hub was recently visited and assessed by the GIRFT team for accreditation and recognition that the hub is working to a defined set of clinical and operational standards on: 

• The patient pathway 

• Staff and training 

• Clinical governance and outcomes 

• Facilities and ring-fencing 

• Utilisation and productivity 

Jonathan Davidson, general manager for Trauma and Orthopaedics, said:

“The accreditation was an opportunity for us to review our ways of working after the hub opened 3 years ago. The accreditation report highlighted the excellent work already being done within the hub and identified areas to improve even further for our patients and staff.” 

The UCLH Grafton Way Elective Surgical Hub is one of 49 hubs to date that have been accredited. There are 117 hub sites currently in operation in England with 18 new hubs planned. The accreditation scheme has been running since March 2023 with quarterly cohorts to accredit all hubs by April 2026. While it is not mandatory for trusts to seek accreditation, the long-term goal is for every elective hub to be accredited.    

Geoff Bellingan, medical director for surgery and cancer board, said:

“This is fantastic news for the Orthopoedic and ENT teams who deliver such excellent elective surgical hub work in the GWB. I’m very proud of these teams”.