For those of you who are not aware of what GIRFT (Getting It Right First Time) is, let me start by saying it is a brilliant idea, genius perhaps. The vision of its founder, Professor Tim Briggs CBE, was to optimise orthopaedic care by using the most clinically and cost effective treatments, minimising waste, reducing variation and eliminating poor practice. Since 2014 in orthopaedics alone, operational and financial opportunities to save the NHS £696 million have been generated. Acute medicine, coupled with general medicine, has been part of the GIRFT programme since 2017. The mischievous reader might question the name, as clearly this is about getting things right at the second time of asking at the very earliest. Apart from that pedantic note, GIRFT is a force for good.
References
- Briggs T. A national review of adult elective orthopaedic services in England: Getting it right first time. London: British Orthopaedic Association; 2015. Available from: https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GIRFT-National-ReportMar15-Web.pdf [Accessed 14th September 2021].
- GIRFT. Getting it right in orthopaedics: reflections on success and reinforcing improvements. A follow-up on the GIRFT national specialty report on orthopaedics. London: GIRFT; 2020. Available from: https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/GIRFT-orthopaedics-follow-up-reportFebruary-2020.pdf [Accessed 14th September 2021].
- Bartlett-Pestell S, Adelaja I, Navaratnam A, Gandhi V, Briggs T, Dyer P, Jones M. The experiences of NHS hospital acute medicine departments in England during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Acute Med 2021;20(3):161-167.
- Soong JTY, Wong ALA, O’Connor I, Marinova M, Fisher D, Bell D. Acute medical units during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-national exploratory study of impact and responses. Clin Med 2021;21(5):e462–9.
- Reid LEM, Dinesen LC, Jones MC, Morrison ZJ, Weir CJ, Lone NI. The effectiveness and variation of acute medical units: A systematic review. Int J Qual Heal Care. 2016;28(4):433-446.
- Scott I, Vaughan L, Bell D. Effectiveness of acute medical units in hospitals: a systematic review. Int J Qual Health Care 2009;21:397–407.
- Conway R, Byrne D, Cournane S, O’Riordan D, Silke B. Fifteen-year outcomes of an acute medical admission unit. Ir J Med Sci 2018;187:1097–105.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Chapter 24 Assessment through acute medical units. Emergency and acute medical care in over 16s: service delivery and organisation NICE guideline [NG94] London: NICE; 2018. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng94/evidence/24assessment-through-acute-medicalunits-pdf-172397464637 [Accessed 14th September 2021].
- Acute Medicine Taskforce. Acute medical care. The right person, in the right setting – first time. Report of the Acute Medicine Task Force. London: RCP; 2007.
- NHS. The NHS Long Term Plan. London: NHS; 2019. Available at: https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/nhs-long-term-plan-version-1.2.pdf [Accessed14th September 2021].
- The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine. ENHANCED CARE: Guidance on service development in the hospital setting. London: FICM; 2019. May 2020. Available at: https://www.ficm.ac.uk/sites/default/files/enhanced_care_guidance_final_-_may_2020-.pdf [Accessed 14th September 2021].
- http://www.saferathome.org/
- Holland M, Subbe C, Atkin C, Knight T, Cooksley T, Lasserson D. Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit 2019 (SAMBA19): Trends in Acute Medical Care. Acute Medicine 2020; 19(4): 209-219.
- Fitzharris L. The butchering art. London: Penguin Random House. 2017.
