For UK independent hospitals
Your theatres and supply chain are costing you more than you realise
A multi-theatre hospital running below full utilisation can leave a substantial sum in revenue on the table each year. Rising consumable costs compound the damage, yet the waste remains largely invisible without the right analysis.
Two minutes. Solva follows up with specific theatre efficiency and supply chain options.
- Operating theatres frequently starting late or finishing early due to poor scheduling
- High levels of cancelled or delayed procedures impacting patient flow
- Excessive inventory holding costs and frequent stockouts of critical consumables
- Lack of visibility into actual spend per procedure and variation across clinical teams
- Increased waiting lists and reduced patient throughput
- Inefficient staff rostering and potential for staff burnout
- Significant loss of potential revenue from underutilised theatre capacity
- Higher operational costs due to inflated procurement prices and inventory waste
- Negative patient feedback and reduced patient satisfaction scores
- Damage to the hospital's brand as a leading private healthcare provider
GIRFT has set a target for Integrated Care Systems and providers to achieve 85% theatre touchtime utilisation by 2024/25 (Getting It Right First Time, 2024)
Source: https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/hvlc/theatre-productivity/
Frequently asked questions
Why does this problem persist?
Theatre utilisation and supply chain management are the two largest controllable cost drivers in an independent hospital. A theatre running at 70% utilisation versus 85% represents a significant revenue and margin gap. Supply chain costs in UK independent hospitals have increased by 20% to 30% since 2022 due to global supply chain disruption and inflation. Hospitals that have not conducted a structured operational efficiency review in the past two years are likely carrying 10% to 20% of avoidable cost.
What is the cost of leaving it unaddressed?
A 15-percentage-point improvement in theatre utilisation on a 5-theatre hospital generates approximately £3 million in additional revenue. Supply chain optimisation on £2 million of consumable spend typically saves £160,000 to £300,000 per year. (Problem Card, 2026)
This is exactly what I do with UK private practices. Answer the few questions above and I'll come back personally with where to start. Paul.