THE MEDICAL director of NHS Fife operational division has welcomed an Audit Scotland report which shows the region has the best day surgery turnover in the country.

Dr Gordon Birnie praised staff following the news that Fife leads the way with 83% of operations requiring no overnight stay, ahead of second place Lothian on 69%.

If the Scottish target of 75% of all surgical operations being carried out as same day procedures was achieved, it could potentially free up around £8 million a year.

Dr Birnie said, “It is very good news for Fife and it is all down to the hard work of the staff.

“We try to deliver day care procedures where possible and have managed to extend to more complex procedures which would have previously required an overnight stay.

“It is difficult to say why we have outperformed other regions, although we do give our clinicians added flexibility to decide if an operation can be carried out as a day care procedure.”

The report comes 10 years after the first review of day surgery in Scotland, and found that, although the rate is rising, there is wide variation in performance.

Auditor general for Scotland Robert Black said, “It’s long been recognised that day surgery benefits patients through promoting a speedy recovery and minimising the disruption that an overnight stay in hospital can have on people’s lives.

“It also promotes a more efficient use of NHS resources by reducing waiting times and freeing up hospital beds.”

As a whole the NHS is improving, meeting national targets in over half of the 19 most common day surgery procedures.

However, Scotland’s overall rate of day surgery continues to be less than in England.