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Specialty Delivery Group

The Scottish Orthopaedic Services Delivery Group is the Trauma and Orthopaedics Specialty Delivery Group (SDG).

The group has evolved over the past 15 years and is led by the Trauma and Orthopaedics planned care team in conjunction with Modernising Patient Pathways colleagues.

Its membership consists of key multidisciplinary stakeholders including Clinical Management Teams, clinical leads, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioners, Public Health Scotland representatives, and research trainees.

The Trauma and Orthopaedics meets virtually 4 times a year (March/June/September and December).

Key areas of responsibility

  • Design and implement consensus driven national clinical pathways.
  • Develop and implement Trauma and Orthopaedics workplans focused on high impact opportunities (including ACRT, PIR, ERAS and same-day surgery) whilst reducing unwarranted variation.
  • Support implementation of Orthopaedic Plan actions.
  • Support Boards to protect planned care capacity and increase theatre productivity.
  • Review and implement opportunities to reduce procedures of low clinical value through evidence-based research.
  • Engage with workforce planning to identify and implement opportunities to ensure effective use of workforce including alternative workforce models.
  • Develop and implement quality improvement initiatives and evidence-based practice through research to improve patient care, outcomes and experience.
  • Maintain the Trauma and Orthopaedics risk register
  • Liaise with key stakeholders including third sector organisations e.g. Versus Arthritis
  • Develop public information through official platforms e.g. NHS Inform: