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Provision of Vascular Services

Provision of Vascular Services (POVS)

First version published by VSGBI in 2012

  • 2012 ‘All patients with vascular disease should have 24/7 access to a specialist vascular team, in all parts of the UK’ (55 pages)
  • 2015 ‘High quality vascular care is best delivered in the UK by integrated vascular networks’ (36 pages)
  • 2018 ‘Urgent vascular care delivered by integrated vascular networks’ (47 pages)
  • 2021 ‘’Person centered vascular care” (100 pages)

POVS recognises that vascular surgery is:

Complex - healthcare providers, and their staff, must work together as integrated teams with shared goals and good leadership.
Urgent - many vascular interventions must be delivered in a timely manner to prevent death, suffering or disease progression.
Risky - vascular teams must meet regularly to discuss treatment options and review patient outcomes (MDM and Governance).
Costly - a responsibility to use healthcare resources, facilities and medical devices, effectively to achieve the greatest benefit.

Key themes in POVS

POVS describes high quality & safe vascular services:

  • Specialist teams and facilities
  • Multi-professional
  • Volume outcome relationship important
  • Networked models of care
  • Changing disease patterns

Publications

Service Specification for the Non-Arterial centres

W0rking Group of Vascular CRG 2013