Heartbeat: Read all about it! Gynaecological cancer paper published
May 4, 2021
Recently our gynaecology oncology team had reason to celebrate as a manuscript they developed was accepted for publication in Gynecologic Oncology – a respected journal from the USA. The paper covered the mitigation plan the team has worked on to allow them to continue delivering safe gynaecology cancer surgery to patients.
Jason Yap, Consultant Gynaecological Oncology, told Heartbeat: “This is the only publication of its kind within our specialty so this is something we are proud of as a team. The paper demonstrates that it is possible to maintain and provide a safe tertiary gynaecological surgical treatment during the pandemic.
“A carefully designed care pathway is required to deliver safe cancer surgery. Our mitigation plan began in April 2020, and we took steps to ensure patients’ safety and minimise COVID-19 transmission whilst an inpatient. Colleagues had symptom triggered screening tests, and patients had COVID-19 tests to ensure they were safe to undergo surgery, as well as a telephone or face to face consultation 72 hours before surgery. We also made modifications to our surgical practice, in particular, the approach to our laparoscopic surgery.
“Also, with meticulous planning, we have managed to maintain surgical services since the start of COVID-19. Patients have been operated on at independent sites away from our hospitals to help minimise the risk of infection. We have carefully monitored the situation via weekly capacity reviews and discussions with the intensive care team.
“The number of cases we have operated on during the pandemic was equal to our prepandemic level when we compared it to the same period in 2019. Our mitigation efforts that were worked on collectively by our management and clinical teams have ensured that we’ve had minimal disruption to surgeries meaning cancer patients have still been able to access the services they need.”
We asked Janos Balega, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist and Clinical Lead for the Pan-Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre, how the team managed to continue offering these vital services. He explained: “To maintain the service required support from SWB, The BMI Priory Hospital who hosted our service, buy-in from management teams at SWBH and The Priory Hospital, the anaesthetic team and the gynaecological oncology surgical team – it was a team effort and everyone pulled together to make it possible.”
Janos added: “Teamwork has been essential over the last year. Having the support of our directorate has helped us to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. We hope that people will use this model of service in other specialties and cancer services so that we can continue to put patient care first.”