Background
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust partnered with Meridian to address challenges in theatre utilisation and outpatient appointment management. At the time, clinic slots were not consistently filled, and theatres were experiencing inefficiencies in list planning and scheduling. These issues limited the Trust’s ability to maximise clinical throughput, affecting both patient access and income recovery.
Analysis
A thorough analysis was carried out across outpatient booking teams and the theatre department. In outpatients, Meridian identified a gap in slot visibility and performance tracking over a six-week planning horizon. In theatres, inconsistencies in list creation and a lack of real-time monitoring meant operating time was often underutilised. There were also discrepancies between consultant job plans and actual procedural activity, resulting in capacity imbalances and financial leakage.
Implementation
Meridian led a 14-week structured improvement programme focused on redesigning planning behaviours and embedding effective management controls. In outpatients, appointment slot forecasting and booking rules were enhanced. Performance meetings were introduced across daily, weekly, and monthly cycles. In theatres, bespoke scheduling tools were introduced—including consultant-level procedure timings and a theatre capacity-demand model. Managers were trained in proactive list planning and real-time utilisation tracking, ensuring a systematic approach to theatre optimisation.
Results
– £6.59M projected annual revenue improvement (theatres and outpatients combined)
– £589,480 revenue increase realised within the 14-week programme
– Outpatients saw an average uplift of 1.8 attended patients per clinic
– Weekly outpatient income increased by £81,250, equivalent to £4.2M annually if sustained
– Theatres generated £2.37M in annualised revenue improvement by optimising session utilisation
– 3:1 return on investment achieved during the life of the project
– Sustainable theatre list planning and waiting list controls now in place
