Service reconfiguration in the department of hand surgery during the UK COVID-19 lockdown: Birmingham experience

• Published in: Postgraduate medical journal Vol. 97; no. 1150; pp. 532 - 538
• Main Authors: Picardo, Natasha Emma, Walker, Harriet, Vanat, Qureish, Nizar, Bafiq, Madura, Tomas, Jose, Rajive
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-08-2021; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Ambulatory care; Antibiotics; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; General anesthesia; Hand surgery; Hands; Health care access; Hospitals; Injuries; Medical referrals; Nosocomial infections; Pandemics; Patient satisfaction; Patients; Quality Improvement Report; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shelter in place; Surgery; Tetanus; Trauma; United Kingdom > UK; plastic & reconstructive surgery; risk management; health policy; human resource management; orthopaedic & trauma surgery; health & safety
• ISSN: 0032-5473; 1469-0756
• DOI: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139280

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the UK and had a major impact on healthcare services. The Birmingham hand centre, one of the largest hand trauma units in the country, underwent a dramatic service reconfiguration to enable robust and safe provision of care that would withstand the peak of the pandemic. Streamlining our service significantly reduced patient footfall and hospital admission while preventing intra-hospital viral transmission. Many of the changes implemented have been kept as permanent adjustments to our practice as this new model of care yields higher patient satisfaction and efficacy to withstand the pressures of further peaks in the pandemic.