About the Audit: Overview
NELA is currently funded until 30 November 2022 with the potential for further funding after this date.
NELA conducts both organisational and patient audits. The purpose of the organisational audit is to better understand the organisational structures in place to deal with emergency surgical admissions and how many of the standards outlined in the audit's Process Outcome Measures are being met. The results of the first organisational audit were published in May 2014. Patient data collection first began in December 2013 and continues on an ongoing basis, subject to funding. All patients over the age of 18 years, having a general surgical emergency laparotomy in all NHS hospitals in England and Wales are enrolled on a prospective basis.
Non-NHS hospitals and hospitals in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are also welcome to contribute to NELA, subject to appropriate funding, as the current HQIP funding only extends to coverage of England and Wales.
The aim of the audit is to generate data that drives Quality Improvement (QI). QI will be facilitated through dissemination of collected data as well as workshops and seminars to drive specific QI projects alongside data collection.
NELA looks at structure, process and risk-adjusted outcome measures for the quality of care received by patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. NELA will compare against standards of care such as those detailed in recent NCEPOD reports, and the Department of Health/Royal College of Surgeons of England's Higher Risk General Surgical Patient (2011).
