Reducing the number of invalid surgical consents in the day surgery unit.

Aim: To reduce the number of invalid surgical consents in the Singapore National Eye Centre Day Surgery Unit over a period of 6 months.

Methodology: A multidisciplinary team involving doctors, nurses, day surgery unit, operating theatre, listing and clinical audit staff looked into the listing process and the root causes of the high number of invalid consents. A Pareto chart detailing the top causes of invalid consents was drawn, and with a prioritisation matrix, feasible yet effective changes were identified and effected.