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St James’s Hospital receives ESTS accreditation in thoracic surgery

By Denise Doherty - 01st Apr 2024


Reference: April 2024 | Issue 4 | Vol 10 | Page 38


St James’s Hospital’s (SJH) Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery has been awarded institutional accreditation by the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS). SJH is home to the largest thoracic surgical oncology programme in Ireland, and the accreditation recognises the high-quality care provided to lung cancer patients, in particular. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in Ireland and the EU.

Approximately 2,600 people are diagnosed with the disease nationally every year. SJH provides surgical care to approximately 55 per cent of the Irish population with lung cancer, and the ESTS accreditation acknowledges the role the hospital plays in improving national survival rates from the disease. The ESTS is the largest international general thoracic surgery organisation, with more than 1,600 members from over 91 countries.

The ESTS institutional accreditation aims to standardise general thoracic surgery practice across Europe, and SJH has supplied data on surgeries performed to treat cancers in the chest to the ESTS since 2019. This data, as well as many years of multidisciplinary work at the hospital to enhance surgical programmes, led to the ESTS inviting the hospital to undertake accreditation, and the ESTS selecting SJH as its latest accredited centre in Europe. Institutional accreditation awarded by the ESTS is valid for a period of 36 months.

Speaking about the accreditation, team lead Mr Gerard Fitzmaurice, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute at SJH, said: “This accreditation is a significant achievement and marker of excellence for the hospital. SJH has the most up-to-date data on lung cancer in Ireland and we are the only Irish centre which submits data to the ESTS; therefore, we have been able to benchmark our service against comparable, high-volume, European centres which are managing the equivalent complexity of lung cancer care.

“We know that centralisation of surgical management in complex cancer care improves patient outcomes. This accreditation process underlines St James’s vision to be a national hub for excellence in complex lung cancer surgical care helping to support the other centres in Ireland.”

Approximately 2,600 patients are diagnosed with lung cancer each year in Ireland; however, the disease is often detected too late to allow for surgical intervention. As the surgical referral unit for four of the eight rapid access lung cancer clinics in Ireland, SJH aims to promptly diagnose and identify the best care pathway for each patient.

Prof John Kennedy, Clinical Professor of Oncology at Trinity College, Dublin, and Co-Director of the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute, said: “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in Ireland and diagnoses of lung cancer are increasing. Here at SJH we offer surgical intervention to patients from all over Ireland. This accreditation is testament to the dedication of the multidisciplinary team and the vast array of clinical support specialities that combine to facilitate delivery of exceptional care to a complex patient cohort.”

When assessing the criteria for accreditation, the ESTS carefully examined the infrastructure of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at SJH, the training available for staff, and the clinical facilities and breadth of specialities offered at the hospital.

Acknowledging this milestone in lung cancer care in Ireland, Prof Mary Day, Chief Executive Officer, St James’s Hospital, said: “St James’s has a long history in the treatment of lung cancer in Ireland and this accreditation would not have been possible without the clinical expertise that we have developed. The ESTS accreditation firmly cements St James’s position as a leader in lung cancer care in Ireland.”

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