More than 100 elective surgical hubs across England have come together to join a GIRFT initiative to maximise hub efficiency and deliver more treatment for patients.

The GIRFT Hub Optimisation Week (HOW) offers an opportunity to demonstrate the impact of an optimally functioning network of surgical hubs, applying GIRFT best practice standards to maximise hub efficiency and theatre productivity. Across England 109 hubs are participating, each selecting one of two weeks beginning either 11 May or 18 May to run their hub optimisation week.

Collectively, the HOW aims to deliver in the region of 1,500 additional procedures, reinforcing the role of hubs to reduce the elective backlog and waiting times for patients. It seeks to demonstrate what hubs can achieve when operating at their maximum potential with opportunities for shared learning across the whole pathway from early screening and pre-operative assessment through to theatre flow and follow-up.

This collaboration will provide data-driven insights for improving patient outcomes, set productivity benchmarks, and support progress towards the 92% referral-to-treatment (RTT) standard by March 2029.