The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) has launched the pioneering Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC), a cross-specialty, national centre dedicated to the promotion, advancement and development of perioperative care.
The centre will be based at the RCoA and Dr David Selwyn, deputy medical director at Nottingham University Hospitals, has been appointed as the inaugural CPOC Director.
The aim of the CPOC is to facilitate and encourage cross-organisational and novel ways of improving perioperative care.
The initial work will build on the foundations of existing RCoA perioperative care work streams alongside partner organisations including the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Physicians of England, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Association of Anaesthetists. CPOC will involve multiple stakeholders including the royal colleges and patient groups.
The college is championing the ‘prehab to rehab’ model, which is at the heart of perioperative care.
In a statement, the RCoA said: “Building on the national shift toward cohesive care systems outlined in NHS England’s Long Term Plan, CPOC will work to inspire professionals and hospitals to better prepare patients for their surgery, increase coordination between specialities and provide a cohesive aftercare programme to enhance recovery and improve quality of life following surgery. Championing better care standards, greater patient outcomes and a cost-effective NHS,” the RCoA said in a statement.