Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust wins patient involvement award
The POPS (Perioperative care for Older People having Surgery) team at Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has shared how the patient and carer voice is at the centre of everything they do. The POPS team – which takes a patient-centred approach to support patients when they have an operation – has won the Royal College of Anaesthetists 2025 Patient’s Voices Award, which celebrates care shaped by meaningful patient involvement. POPS services were first set up at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in 2003 and the team has been adapting and expanding with the help of patient involvement throughout. A Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group was established from the outset of POPS in 2003 and has helped to shape the service. It also prompted POPS teams around the country to keep a focus on the person rather than the condition and on addressing what matters most to the patient.
Breaking down barriers
The POPS team has been working to break down barriers to patient involvement participation. The team says it appreciates how difficult it can be, especially for some older people, to be involved in this kind of work. It can seem daunting to work with healthcare professionals, to use computers or other technology, to attend in person or online meetings. It can be especially difficult if people have hearing, visual or memory problems. To help, patients and carers have been offered flexible dates, small group video calls or telephone consultations. Prior to the meetings, participants have been given written information in easy-to-understand language outlining the purpose of their involvement. The team has worked with patient representatives from other organisations such as the Centre of Perioperative Care (CPOC) and the Patient Information Forum.
How patient voices have shaped the service
PPIE groups around the country have directly shaped the development of POPS services. For example, the groups said being fully involved in decisions about surgery was very important, so shared decision-making tools such as the “BRAN” approach (Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Do Nothing) were introduced to guide these conversations. Feedback has also helped to improve how common issues such as postoperative delirium (confusion after surgery) are managed. Checking for the risk of delirium is now a routine part of preparing patients for surgery and planning their recovery afterwards. PPIE input has also helped shape the service through helping to come up with meaningful research questions.
The POPS team at Guys & St Thomas’ says it is very grateful to every member of its PPIE group who over the past 20 years has helped shape services and research helping to improve care for all older people having surgery.
Read more about the POPS team on the Guys & St Thomas' website here.