Improving Operating Theatre Efficiency

Every minute lost in the operating theatre is a minute a patient waits for nothing. Specialist anaesthetist Dr Sandeep Rakhra (The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne) joins the Perioperative Medicine Podcast to discuss why theatres run late and what every team member can do about it. We cover designing better theatre lists, parallel processing to speed up turnover, recovery room (PACU) flow, cultural safety, the true cost of overtime, why on-time starts matter more than you think, and how to handle add-on cases without punishing efficient teams. Sandeep created Operating Theatre IQ, a CPD short course for anyone working in the perioperative space: anaesthetists, surgeons, floor coordinators, and booking staff. Chapters 00:00 Episode highlights 01:10 Welcome and introductions 03:57 Lists, turnover and recovery 09:12 Culture, safety and cost 14:24 On-time starts and add-ons 21:44 Tips and the OTIQ course Learn more about Operating Theatre IQ: https://www.otiq.com.au Explore our short courses: https://www.periopmedicine.net Hosts: Jamie Smart and Christine Ball Guest: Dr Sandeep Rakhra Produced by the Department of Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Monash University and The Alfred. Recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation. #PerioperativeMedicine #Anaesthesia #TheatreEfficiency