Case studies: hospital visits

As part of the 'A question of balance' report we conducted visits to eight NHS hospitals (seven in England and one in Wales) to explore new models for inpatient care using an extended surgical team. The components of the extended team who it comprised – and the roles each person played – varied considerably, with arrangements often bespoke to the particular needs of the surgical specialty. That said, a number of key areas of learning emerged that will be relevant across all surgical departments – and it is these themes that we focus on here.

In addition to the study sites, we also conducted a targeted visit to a ninth hospital to find out more about the unique extended surgical team in maxillofacial surgery.

Click the links to find out more about the extended surgical team in these hospitals:

• Aintree University Hospital
• Cheltenham General Hospital
• Freeman Hospital, Newcastle
• Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
• St George's Hospital, London
• University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton-on-Tees
• University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham