Dave Bunting

This edition of JODS comes well-timed following the recent release of a report by NHS Improvement entitled ‘Operating theatres: opportunities to reduce waiting lists’. This report highlights the fact that waiting times for elective surgery have increased year on year since 2012. The lack of inpatient bed availability has a huge impact on these figures and daycase surgery has been identified as an area offering possible solutions. The proportion of cases performed as daycases has increased (now about 70%) and improving theatre productivity will mean that more patients can be treated without adding to rising pressure on beds from emergency care. The report highlighted the fact that individual trusts are succeeding in switching more theatre work to daycase units and moving daycase activity to procedure rooms. There is a wide variation in practice across the country offering great opportunity for further improvement. Increasing productivity by intelligent scheduling to reduce late starts, early finishes and inter-case downtime is something that applies well to the day surgery units. These function separately from other hospital departments and are less prone to eternal pressures than main/emergency theatre environments.

In this edition of JODS, our President, Mary Stocker highlights the many meetings across the UK that BADS is involved in. 2019 is a very special year for BADS during which we will be celebrating our 30^th Anniversary. In order to commemorate this occasion, the association will be holding its Annual Scientific Meeting in London at the Royal Society of Medicine. This year promises to deliver an exciting and varied programme highlighting some recent successes and promising future developments in day-case and short stay surgery.

This edition of JODS features scientific articles on a wide range of topics including a report on the introduction of new daycase breast cancer surgery pathways for breast conserving surgery and mastectomy; an audit of pre-operative test recording in elective primary care referrals; a paper demonstrating successful introduction of a daycase hemithyroidectomy pathway; a case series review of the impact of body mass index on management of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and a service improvement project in reducing the antibiotic burden for transrectal prostate biopsy.

Whilst reading this edition of JODS, please spend the time to take a look at the advert for the various forthcoming Health Care Conferences UK Events being held in London during March, April and May. In particular, the ‘Developing your Daycase General Surgery Service’ event is being held on Thursday 9^th May and is co-hosted by BADS. This promises to deliver an exciting and up to date programme with talks on a range of topics including day surgery pathways, pre-habilitation, paediatric day surgery, emergency ambulatory surgery, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, anti-reflux surgery and 23-hour stay colorectal surgery.

 Finally, I would like to remind you that abstract submission for the Annual Scientific Meeting is now open and available via the link below:

 https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/login?redirect=/stages/874/submission&dm_i=1O4Y,61VHJ,P49J13,NQY8D,1