Background: The Pre-Admission Centre was established in 1996 at the study facility. The centre wished to provide patient-centred care, that is accessible safe and reliable. This study examines the experience of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Pre-Admission Centre in a tertiary training hospital from the perspectives of patients, surgeons, anaesthetists and registered nurses.

Aim: The study was carried out to identify and review Pre-Admission Centre processes and structures in the pursuit of excellence in patient care, safety and satisfaction.

Research design: The research design uses a mixed method approach. The quantitative component consists of using retrospective secondary data already collected by the organisation. The qualitative component of this study consists of semi-structured interviews, a focus group and patient surveys to identify the perceived impact of the Pre-Admission Centre for elective surgical patients, visiting medical officers, registered nurses and anaesthetists. The qualitative component will also discover what factors contributed to the success of the Pre-Admission Centre and review problems with the existing service.

Results: This study differs from other studies as all stakeholders were included not only the patient experience of the Pre-Admission Centre but also the experience of anaesthetists, visiting medical officers and registered nurses who utilise the service. The findings from patient surveys along with the interviewed participants and focus group suggests that the Pre-Admission Centre is effective and efficient in that it increases the quality of healthcare provided in terms of safety, efficiency and organisation of surgical risks. It is an effective screening mechanism for patients providing early detection and communication of risks which allows for appropriate action to be taken in a timely manner. It is perceived as being a time saver for anaesthetists and registered nurses at ward level on the day of surgery it has similar findings of previous studies in that it can alleviate fear and anxiety, provides pre-operative information and education, may reduce length of stay and reduce cancellations on the day of admission. As some patients are from rural areas distance from the facility was a disadvantage, inappropriate timing of anaesthetists’ appointments, possible over investigation as well as the potential for confusion were also found to be a disadvantage.

Conclusion: This study differs from others in that all stakeholders’ experiences were explored not only patient experience or satisfaction. The Pre-Admission Centre is an effective and efficient way to provide screening and early detection of risks for patients who are having large and complex procedures and identifies strategies in conjunction with anaesthetists and surgeons in order to mitigate harm. Further research could be undertaken to ascertain what types of education was most beneficial to patients as this was not included in this study.