title: One-Stop Clinic Utilization in Plastic Surgery: Our Local Experience and the Results of a UK-Wide National Survey.
abstract: Introduction. "See and treat" one-stop clinics (OSCs) are an advocated NHS initiative to modernise care, reducing cancer treatment waiting times. Little studied in plastic surgery, the existing evidence suggests that though they improve care, they are rarely implemented. We present our experience setting up a plastic surgery OSC for minor skin surgery and survey their use across the UK. Methods. The OSC was evaluated by 18-week wait target compliance, measures of departmental capacity, and patient satisfaction. Data was obtained from 32 of the 47 UK plastic surgery departments to investigate the prevalence of OSCs for minor skin cancer surgery. Results. The OSC improved 18-week waiting times, from a noncompliant mean of 80% to a compliant 95% average. Department capacity increased 15%. 95% of patients were highly satisfied with and preferred the OSC to a conventional service. Only 25% of UK plastic surgery units run OSCs, offering varying reasons for not doing so, 42% having not considered their use. Conclusions. OSCs are underutilised within UK plastic surgery, where a significant proportion of units have not even considered their benefit. This is despite associated improvements in waiting times, department capacity, and levels of high patient satisfaction. We offer our considerations and local experience instituting an OSC service.
authors.affiliation: Castle Hill Plastic Surgery Unit, Hull HU16 5JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gujral
authors.affiliation: Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McKay