Nuffield Health Bournemouth has committed to fund the Adverse Events Research Team at Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Science and Technology until 2027. 

The funding, which will total £48,000 over a six-year period, will support researchers at Bournemouth University to investigate the impact on the wellbeing of surgeon’s when things go wrong (adverse events).

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Adverse events such as surgical errors and complications are an inevitable part of a surgeon’s life. When something goes wrong in surgery, the impact on surgeons and members of the surgical team can be profound and can directly affect their personal and professional wellbeing, including their health. Teams at Bournemouth University have pioneered research into national and international surgical wellbeing for several years in collaboration with The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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Nuffield Health recognises that the wellbeing of doctors and consultants can directly impact patient care. The charity is committed to supporting researchers to develop guidance to help surgeons across the UK prepare for when things go wrong, and to ensure clinical teams are supported when they do.

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Natalie Kemp, Health Systems Director at Nuffield Health Bournemouth, said: “As a healthcare charity with a purpose to build a healthier nation, we are always looking for ways to improve the health and wellbeing of our local communities. We recognise that within any medical environment the best patient outcome is achieved when support and care needs is available for everyone involved in the patient journey, including consultants and surgeons.

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“By providing financial support to further research in this area, we can help to better understand the care surgeons need after things don’t go to plan and ensure they receive the right support. The wellbeing of our medical professionals is of paramount importance, and we’re proud to help fund nationally-reaching research and resource in this area, especially through our neighbours at Bournemouth University.”

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Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Science and Technology and the Adverse Events Research Team have published original research on the subject and have two more related publications in the pipeline. The team’s latest research investigates the relationship between personality and psychological traits and mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and burnout in surgeons.

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Kevin Turner, Consultant Urological Surgeon at Nuffield Health Bournemouth and visiting Professor at Bournemouth University, heads up the Adverse Events Research team and commented: “We are immensely grateful for Nuffield Health’s support. Without this funding we couldn’t conduct our research or afford the costs associated with publishing our findings. It’s really important that we continue to learn about how we can best take care of our medical professionals.

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“When things go wrong in surgery, surgeons are greatly affected. While this is true of all healthcare professionals, surgeons are worthy of particular focus. This is because existing supporting mechanisms simply don’t work for surgeons, either because the support isn’t right, or because surgeons choose not to access it.”

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The funding from Nuffield Health Bournemouth will also support the design, delivery, sustainability, and evaluation of peer-to-peer support for surgeons in the UK. The Bournemouth University Adverse Events Research Team is delivering a new support programme for surgeons via the Support Improvement Collaborative, a national programme run in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons and participating Trusts.

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Kevin added: “The impact of adverse events on patient care is indirect but very real. Surgeons impacted by adverse events are more likely to suffer with their mental health, be burned out, and make subsequent errors.

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“If we can address the impact that adverse events have on surgeons then they should be able to do their job better with benefit to them, their employers, and most importantly their patients.”

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Nuffield Health Bournemouth made donations to Bournemouth University’s Adverse Events Research team in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and has signed an agreement to continue providing annual financial support until 2027.

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To find out more about Nuffield Health Bournemouth visit: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bournemouth

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To learn more about BU’s research into the impact of adverse events on surgeons, visit: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/projects/impacts-adverse-events-surgeon-wellbeing