Quality statement 6: Surgical safety checklist
Quality statement
Adults having surgery have the World Health Organization (WHO) surgical safety checklist completed for each surgical procedure.
Rationale
The WHO surgical safety checklist has 3 components, with each component being completed at a specific time point during the surgical procedure: before the induction of anaesthesia, before the first incision, and before the patient leaves the operating room. It is a vital part of surgical care as it reduces the likelihood of surgical errors, including 'never events'.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Process
Proportion of surgical procedures for which the WHO surgical safety checklist is completed.
Numerator – the number in the denominator where the WHO surgical safety checklist is completed.
Denominator – the number of surgical procedures.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from electronic patient records.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (secondary and tertiary care services) ensure that adults having surgery have the WHO surgical safety checklist completed for each surgical procedure.
Healthcare professionals (such as the theatre team, and dentists) complete the WHO surgical safety checklist for each surgical procedure for adults having surgery. Amend the WHO surgical safety checklist as appropriate but ensure that all 3 components are completed as a minimum, including a team brief and team debrief.
Commissioners ensure that they commission services in which adults having surgery have the WHO surgical safety checklist completed for each surgical procedure.
Adults having surgery have the WHO surgical safety checklist completed for each surgical procedure to support safe and effective surgical care.
Source guidance
Perioperative care in adults. NICE guideline NG180 (2020), recommendation 1.4.8
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Adults having surgery
Adults who are booked for an elective or emergency surgical procedure, including dental surgery. [NICE's guideline on perioperative care in adults]
WHO surgical safety checklist
A WHO 19-item checklist for surgical procedures. [Adapted from the WHO webpage for the surgical safety checklist]