What do patients want to know about new surgical procedures – a public consultation

What information do patients want to know about a new surgical procedure before undergoing it? The team at the Surgical Innovation theme at the National Institute of Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) has launched a public consultation to find out.

A recent independent review has shown that people may not have the information they want or need before they decide to undergo a new type of surgery.

The Surgical Innovation team has previously worked with patients and doctors to create a list of key points that should be discussed with all patients when talking about new surgical procedures.

Everyone is now invited to take part in the two-minute survey to vote how important these key points are. Please follow this link if you would like to make your voice heard, whether you have experienced surgery or not.

The team hopes that every survey response will help to improve how we talk to patients about surgical innovation and address problems highlighted in the independent review.

Paula Goss, Founder of Rectopexy mesh victims and support and Mesh UK ambassador who helped develop the public consultation said:

“There is a real need and urgency to improve the way new procedures are discussed with patients.

“This research will help assess risks and benefits and let patients decide about the right choice of treatment for them.

“It is imperative for the future of the NHS that patients are included in this process and that they collaborate in it.

“We don’t want to repeat previous mistakes and we must ensure patient safety.

“The entire process must be transparent because that will let us rebuild trust in surgical procedures.

“This will have a real impact on real people’s lives.”

Surgery is a common treatment for a range of different health problems and most people will experience it at some point in their life.

The team hopes that the results of this survey will help patients across the NHS gain access to standard information when discussing new surgical procedures with doctors.