Compliance of ENT emergency surgery with the Royal College of Surgeons standards

Introduction In 2011 The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) set out best practice standards for emergency surgery. This national pilot audit aimed to determine the compliance of otolaryngology departments in England with these published guidelines. Methods A 26-item online questionnaire was devised that encompassed all the 36 best practices as set out by the RCS for ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery. This was sent to ENT trainees and consultants based at units in England providing emergency ENT services. Results Data were obtained from 55 of the 102 units (response rate: 54%). A mean compliance of 71% was achieved (range: 25-94%). No units achieved all of the best practices. The standards with the highest compliance included 24-hour availability of blood transfusion and haematology opinion for patients with epistaxis, availability of a consultant or ST3/equivalent for immediate discussion of severe post-tonsillectomy bleeding, 24-hour access to blood transfusion for arrest of haemorrhage and immediate theatre access for arrest of haemorrhage. The areas with the lowest compliance were provision of a pathway for angiography/embolisation for epistaxis and provision of an equipped ENT room on a paediatric ward. Conclusions This audit has highlighted that the majority of departments in England are providing a good standard of ENT emergency care. There is room for improvement in certain areas, such as the provision of an embolisation pathway in the context of refractory epistaxis. We hope that this audit will encourage ENT departments to evaluate their current provision of emergency care and institute changes (where necessary) to maintain and improve their practices.