(012) Improving efficiency and access to ENT biopsy services, a quality improvement project on OPLA clinics

Introduction: The benefits of outpatient local anaesthetic (OPLA) procedures in the efforts to reduce operating theatre burden are well reported. These include diagnostic procedures (skin, mucosal and lesional biopsies open, endoscopically or via ultrasound). Therapeutic procedures included grommet, speech-valve and septal button insertion. We focused our study on efficiency and impact on fast track diagnosis for head and neck cancer.

Methods: Data base for all Procedures April 2024 - April 2025 were reviewed. Type of procedure, biopsy adequacy, time to diagnosis, and the need for further procedures were recorded. Feedback was collected using MS forms.

Results: Of 89 biopsies, 82 (92%) were adequate. 83 biopsies achieved diagnosis - 65 benign biopsies (MTTD 12 days), 15 malignant biopsies (MTTD 9 days), and 3 non-cancer (MTTD 12 days). MTTD was 12 days for adequate samples (79 biopsies, 89%), and 27.5 days for those requiring further procedures. Nurse feedback indicated high role clarity, adequate training and suitable clinical environment while identifying communication and equipment shortages as challenges

Conclusions: The OPLA clinic delivers timely, convenient and accurate biopsy diagnoses, reducing theatre demand.