Background:
Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is an international patient safety issue. Lifetime incidence is 1 in 20, approximately half associated with prior hospitalisation and two-thirds potentially preventable. VTE prevention is now recognised as a clinical priority for the NHS by the National Quality Board and the NHS Leadership Team.

Objective
To determine the compliance of the Burns Unit with VTE risk assessments (in line with NICE Clinical Guideline CG92 and Trust Policy on VTE). If deficient, changes would be implemented and performance re-audited. If successful, this pilot would be extended to other wards.

Material and Methods:
A baseline audit was completed over three weeks in September-October 2013. 11 patients were admitted, three not having a risk assessment completed. Staff education sessions on VTE were held. The inpatient board on the Burns Unit was modified to facilitate inter-professional communication and VTE status visibility.

Result:
Six audit cycles over six weeks were completed, with 100% compliance (20 patients). The system was exported to wards 16a, 16b and the Surgical Assessment Unit where a baseline audit showed a median of 50% compliance and initial results showed a sustained increase to 100% compliance two days post-implementation (six audit cycles).

Conclusion:
The package of interventions utilised is a viable way of increasing VTE risk assessment compliance in Plastic Surgery.