Guidelines & Best Practices

Getting it Right First Time

Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is a national NHS improvement programme aimed at enhancing patient care and operational efficiency by reducing unwarranted variations in clinical practice. In March 2018, GIRFT published a national report on cardiothoracic surgery, authored by Mr. David Richens, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon with extensive experience in service development and clinical leadership.

The report identified 20 recommendations to improve clinical practice, reduce unwarranted variation, and enhance patient outcomes in cardiothoracic surgery. These recommendations were based on in-depth clinical meetings and data reviews with the 31 cardiothoracic units in England, alongside nationally verified data sources.

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) have expressed strong support for the report’s recommendations, highlighting that cardiothoracic surgeons have pioneered the collection and publication of clinical outcomes data, leading to progressive improvements in patient outcomes.

By implementing these recommendations, the GIRFT programme aims to optimise resource utilisation, reduce complications, and enhance overall service delivery in cardiothoracic surgery across the NHS.

For a visual overview of the key recommendations and opportunities for improvement in the GIRFT national report on cardiothoracic surgery, you might find the following video informative: