Published September 2021 by Thrombosis UK supported and facilitated by Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT).

Download the National Thrombosis Survey Report

The GIRFT national programme is designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through in-depth review of services, benchmarking, and presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change.

Run between 2019-2020, the Venous thromboembolism (VTE) survey, examines hospital-acquired thromboembolism (HA-VTE) utilising GIRFT’s established methodology to gather and analyse data on the rates of hospital-acquired VTE and evidence recommendations to improve:

  • Prevention
  • Cost savings
  • Patient outcomes

Evidenced and reasoned, we urge all clinical providers to reflect on current practice against findings in this report and to identify approaches that could improve outcomes and patient experience without the need for radical change or additional investment.

Download

Wednesday 13th October 2021

Watch the virtual meeting hosted by Prof Beverley Hunt OBE, Medical lead for Thrombosis UK, in collaboration with the VTE Exemplar Network and NHS GIRFT.

With discussion and opportunity to pose questions, the panel considered:

  • the specifics of the VTE Survey
  • next step in understanding HA-VTE
  • improving practice and implementing recommendations
Speakers included:
  • Dr Aidan Fowler - National Director of Patient Safety in England & DCMO England
  • Prof Tim Briggs - NHS GIRFT
  • Prof Roopen Arya – VTE Exemplar Network
  • Prof Beverley Hunt OBE – Thrombosis UK
  • Dr Lara Roberts – Lead Report writer
  • Robin Offord – Director of Clinical Pharmacy, UCL, London
  • Emma Gee – VTE Nursing & Midwifery Network
  • Becs Walsh - Lead Pharmacist, Anticoagulation & Thrombosis Prevention Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS FT

Launched 1st October 2019, Thrombosis UK in collaboration with the NHS improvement programme, GIRFT (Getting It Right First Time) and VTE Exemplar Network, launched an innovative Thrombosis Survey

The GIRFT programme is dedicated to working with hospitals to identify and implement improvements that benefit both patients and staff.


Visit the GIRFT website

The GIRFT Thrombosis Survey was open to all hospitals across England and Wales.

The first NHS England systematic VTE risk assessment for the identification of high risk patients was a global first, and evidences improved patient outcomes:

Resulting in:
  • Delivery of high quality care
  • Reducing avoidable harm
  • Safer hospitals

However, while the average monthly rates of VTE Risk Assessment remain around 95%, maintaining programmes are under pressure from competing Quality Improvement priorities within the NHS, and audit of root cause analysis and hospital acquired thrombosis (HAT) cases are not universally performed.

The GIRFT Thrombosis Survey sought to address these gaps and identify:

What proportion of HAT cases are deemed potentially preventable?

What themes can be identified within cases with potentially preventable HAT?

Assess local practice in the prevention of Hospital Acquired Thrombosis.

Provide data for participating trusts to benchmark themselves against the national average and to drive better scrutiny and investigation of HAT and their causes.