Seizing the Opportunity to Improve Patient Care: Pelvic Floor Services in 2021 and Beyond
28 April 2021
(Last updated: 10 Dec 2021 17:58)
Action needed to address stark inequalities in care across UK pelvic floor services
BAUS welcomes the findings of a new report which reveals significant short-comings in the care of UK patients with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), and provides recommendations on six areas for change to improve outcomes.
The report authors calls for urgent action to improve treatment and access to surgery, highlighting that PFD patients have been neglected for years. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified pre-existing disparities in services, leading to significant delays in treatment access. However, it also offers opportunity to change models of care.
To address a lack of ‘joined-up’ services, the report offers national recommendations that call for health bodies and the Government to adopt changes, as well as local recommendations aimed at healthcare professionals working day-to-day with patients.
The proposed areas for change are to:
- Educate patients, healthcare professionals and the public about PFDs and their treatment;
- Use technology to improve patient care e.g., virtual consultations;
- Integrate expertise across the country to ensure patients consistently receive expert care, from the community to the hospital;
- Rethink surgical procedures and premises to free up operating theatre capacity;
- Optimise collaboration among PFD specialists and make use of available skills e.g., nurse and allied health professional-led procedures; and
- Consider public-private partnerships to address capacity issues for surgery.
"Seizing the opportunity to improve patient care: pelvic floor services in 2021 and beyond" is launched by The Pelvic Floor Society and endorsed by 10 health professional societies & patient organisations.
Read the full report here
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