PATIENTS undergoing lifesaving and emergency stomach surgery at the Great Western Hospital now have a higher chance of surviving due to the introduction of a new safety initiative.

For the past 12 months, doctors at the GWH have been part of the Emergency Laparotomy Collaborative, which brings together healthcare experts from across the south of England.

The scheme allows medical professionals to network across organisations to share learning and experiences to improve safety.

Dr Malcolm Watters, consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at the GWH, said: “This new way of working means our patients effectively have access to the knowledge and experience of the most senior doctors working at more than two dozen hospitals in the south of England.

“It really is fantastic news that the first year of the ELC has resulted in such an immediate and noticeable improvement for patients.

“From my point of view, being able to compare performance with colleagues while sharing problems and collectively finding solutions has been rewarding and invaluable.”

The mortality rate for patients having an emergency laparotomy at the GWH has decreased from 11.4 per cent to just 2.6 per cent in the 12 months following the development of the ELC.

A laparotomy is surgical procedure which involves a large incision in the abdomen in order for doctors to perform surgery.

Patients will often be given an emergency laparotomy when suffering from severe abdominal pain as it allows the surgeon to investigate the cause of the problem.

The GWH is one of 30 hospitals taking part in the project which, apart from helping to save more lives, aims to lower the risk of surgical complications, increase consultant presence in theatre and reduce a patient’s overall stay in hospital.

Shared learning from the ELC has also played a big part in deciding where patients in need of the procedure are cared for before and after their op.

One hundred per cent of patients needing the procedure are now admitted directly to the Intensive Care Unit at GWH to benefit from round-the-clock monitoring by specially trained staff.

The news comes just days after the trust announced that 80 per cent of patients with sepsis were now expected to survive their diagnosis, which is significantly better than the national average.

For more information on 500 Lives and the safety work taking place across the trust, visit www.gwh.nhs.uk.