A consultant urological surgeon from University Hospitals Sussex has been appointed to lead a national improvement programme which is supporting NHS trusts and systems across England to improve patient care.
Suzie Venn, who is also Deputy Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Sussex with responsibility for quality and safety, will work alongside Ben Ayres (Consultant Urological Surgeon at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) as joint clinical leads for NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. GRIFT is a national programme designed to improve patient treatment and care by reviewing health services in England.
Suzie Venn said: “I am a strong believer in the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, and I look forward to working with Ben and all our colleagues to use the programme’s core principles and methodology to improve the urological care of our patients.”
Suzie’s specialist clinical interests include female urology, urinary continence and complex urological reconstruction. She is a former regional advisor for urology for the NHS England South East region and has held several roles with the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS). She was awarded the BAUS John Anderson medal in 2024 for services to urology.
GIRFT undertakes clinically-led reviews of specialties, combining data analysis with the input and professional knowledge of senior clinicians to examine how NHS trusts and systems currently operate and how they could be improved. By tackling variations in the way services are delivered across the NHS, and by sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care.
GIRFT has been working in the urology specialty since 2015. Suzie and Ben will work closely with other NHS England programmes, providers and professional bodies – in particular the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) and the British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN). This will be to further develop resources to support trusts and systems that reduce variation and improve patient care.
Professor Tim Briggs, GIRFT programme lead and National Director for Clinical Improvement, Elective Recovery and UEC for NHS England, said: “Urology is one of the core surgical specialties for GIRFT, so I am delighted to have two such experienced clinical leaders on board to build on the important work begun their predecessors.
“Our focus must continue to be on improving the service for patients, for our colleagues and for the NHS more broadly, and I am confident that Suzie and Ben will be instrumental in achieving positive change.”