RCoA and CPOC to lead first national clinical audit of perioperative care

The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) has been appointed by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) to deliver the first National Clinical Audit of Perioperative Care (NCAPC).  

The audit aims to improve patient outcomes and experiences by reducing unwarranted variation in evidence-based best practice standards of care throughout the perioperative pathway. It will help shape national practice by developing a healthcare quality improvement plan for perioperative care.  

As a long-standing leader in the field and host of the Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC), the RCoA is ideally placed to lead this work. 

NCAPC is part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP) overseen by HQIP and funded by NHS England. It will be initially delivered for NHS-funded care in England and publicly funded care in Jersey.  

The audit will run for three years from 1 October 2025. Year one will focus on defining clear healthcare quality improvement goals, identifying the most impactful evidence-based standards of care, and deciding what data to collect. Year two will focus on gathering this data, and year three will see publication of the first national report. 

Dr Claire Shannon, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, said: 

“We’re looking forward to delivering the first national clinical audit of perioperative care, which has great potential to improve patient outcomes and NHS efficiency.  

“With our proven track record in delivering large-scale national audits and the expertise of our Centre for Perioperative Care, we’re ideally placed to lead this work.” 

Dr Dave Selwyn, Director of the Centre for Perioperative Care, said: 

“Good perioperative care is fundamental to safe, effective surgery. CPOC is committed to improving the surgical whole patient experience and this audit will help provide us the evidence of the impact as well as help us focus on areas which require further support, helping us to raise standards nationally.   

“By identifying what works best and where improvements are needed, NCAPC will drive meaningful innovation across the entire surgical pathway.”   

How you can participate 

The RCoA is seeking to appoint two clinical co-leads for NCAPC. These roles are an opportunity to help shape national practice and lead improvements in perioperative care.  

There is no direct payment for the role but employer reimbursement is available for eight hours per week. Posts will start in October 2025 for an initial three-year term, with the possible extension subject to contract renewal.