Background:
Operating across five theatres, this major surgical centre was struggling with inefficiencies driven by inconsistent planning, poor rota alignment, and costly overruns. There was no central management function or shared visibility of planned versus actual theatre performance.
Analysis:
Meridian’s baseline review uncovered:
Widespread silo planning, with no master schedule
Rostered nursing hours regularly exceeding theatre requirements
Misclassification of emergency procedures contributing to scheduling strain
No effective Theatre Users Group or decision-making structure
Implementation:
Over a 16-week programme, Meridian introduced:
A central Theatre Management Team with defined decision rights
A master theatre schedule that included session templates, punctuality tracking, and demand alignment
‘Countdown to theatre day’ protocols, enabling better resource planning
Comprehensive reporting, including elective/emergency ratios and in-session utilisation
Results:
– Late theatre finishes significantly reduced, with associated nursing overtime minimised
– Full transparency introduced across scheduling, demand, and performance variance
– Operating sessions planned with greater precision, improving value from existing resources
– Culture shift from reactive firefighting to proactive, evidence-based management
