Emergency and postoperative access to critical and enhanced care: a multicentre prospective observational study*

Introduction: The ability to admit patients to enhanced or critical care may be limited by bed availability. In a network with low provision of critical and enhanced care beds, we aimed to assess the proportion of patients having surgery with moderate (1%–< 5%) or high (≥ 5%) predicted risk of 30-day postoperative mortality and their postoperative care location. We also aimed to study referral and admission outcomes to critical care. Methods: This prospective, 7-day observational study was conducted across 19 acute hospital sites within the South West Critical Care Network. All adult inpatients having a procedure under the care of an anaesthetist (excluding cardiac and obstetric procedures) had a surgical outcome risk tool score calculated retrospectively, and their postoperative destination captured. Synchronously, all critical care referrals, admissions and refusal decisions were captured, along with critical care bed capacity. Results: Of 2222 eligible patients, 1728 (78%) were captured. Retrospective surgical outcome risk tool score calculation revealed 1060 (61%) patients had a low, 418 (24%) a moderate and 250 (15%) a high risk of postoperative mortality. In patients with a moderate predicted risk of postoperative morbidity, 72/418 (17%) received enhanced or critical care and 64/249 (26%) patients with a high predicted risk received critical care. All critical care referral and admission activity was captured; in total, 263/680 (39%) of patients referred were admitted to critical care. Referrals to critical care exceeded the available level 3-equivalent beds on 79% of occasions. Discussion: These data describe constraints in access to postoperative and emergency enhanced/critical care in the south-west of England. There is poor compliance with national guidance regarding the postoperative care location of patients with a moderate or high risk of postoperative mortality.