Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust introduced the MyPreOp system to tackle existing challenges in their preoperative assessment process. MyPreOp helped the team to enable early risk assessment and optimise patient triage using the inbuilt patient management system. This resulted in 270 additional clinic slots per month which was a 34% increase in clinic capacity. Since implementation of the digital system, the number of cancellations of operations on the day due to clinical reasons has reduced by 34% on average per month whilst by comparison cancellations due to non-clinical reasons have remained largely unchanged (0.9% reduction) suggesting improvement in perioperative optimisation. 88% of patients were able to complete their digital assessment independently with the questionnaire being specifically designed to comply with AA standards to minimise digital exclusion. 

The adoption of MyPreOp streamlined workflows, enhanced efficiency, and improved patient experience, while also generating significant financial gains by reducing avoidable cancellations. 

Challenges before implementation of MyPreOp

  • High cancellation rates pre-pandemic : 49% of same-day surgical cancellations were due to patients being medically unfit

  • Overburdened clinics: 13,000 nursing-led and 1,200 consultant-led appointments per annum were struggling to manage demand and ever increasing waitlists, running one-hour appointments for all patients

  • No early screening, causing delays in risk assessment

  • 30-40% of patients were low-risk, yet they still required long appointments.

The Digital Solution

By integrating MyPreOp into their POA process, patients now complete their questionnaires earlier in their perioperative pathway. Patients are invited to complete their assessment via SMS or email using the platform’s built in questionnaires that had undergone customisation by the Trust. Weblinks were also built into the questionnaires to provide resources for patient education ahead of their procedure.

MyPreOp enabled:

  • Early triage into Red, Amber, and Green risk pathways with appropriate clinics for patients ASA 1/2, and 3/4. The built in patient management system supported the flow of patients through the POA process.

  • Nurse led clinic slot reduction from 1 hour to 45 minutes, creating 270 extra slots per month

  • Future plan to reduce low-risk patient slots further to 30 minutes

  • A pool of patients to be ready for last-minute cancellations

  • Positive patient experiences by promoting proactive engagement and patient education resources

  • Easy access to data analytics using the built in business intelligence platform to monitor success of the service. 

Key Outcomes:

  • Increased Capacity: 34% growth in POA capacity 

  • Optimised Triage: 58% of patients identified as low-risk (ASA Grade 1/2), enabling shorter and more efficient nurse led appointments 

  • Fewer Cancellations: 34% reduction in same-day cancellations due to clinical reasons

  • Financial Savings: Low risk patient pathway to create more capacity, reduced number of cancellations. 

  • Strong Patient Engagement: 88% completed their digital assessments independently, with most completing within a day of invitation. 

  • Faster triage & optimisation of surgical patients

  • Better coordination between nurses and perioperative consultants

  • Possibility of remote working by the staff 

Comment from Consultant Anaesthetist Dr. Manpreet Singh (Perioperative medicine clinical Lead) from RWT: 

As a part of digital transformation at RWT, MyPreOp has enabled us to streamline the process from the point of surgical consent and given all the stakeholders clear visibility of the patient journey through the process. MyPreOp has given pre-op staff the possibility of working remotely and better co-ordination among preop staff to avoid last minute postponements.

Comment from SSR Nikki Bateman(Preop Nurse Manager): 

The implementation of MyPreOp has transformed our preop service.  The workforce is utilised more effectively, which has facilitated clinic capacity maximisation.  It allows us to identify the most appropriate pathway for our patients, resulting in; reduced repeat visits, minimised time spent in the department, and for suitable patients either an assessment via telephone or a short appointment with a health care assistant.

MyPreOp provides greater visualisation of patients on the surgical waiting list, which allows us to intervene for early optimisation, providing best care for our patients, and a safer more efficient perioperative journey.