HEIW's Theatre Transformation Project Helping to Strengthen Wales' Perioperative Workforce

Published 31/03/2026

A national improvement project, led by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), has delivered improvements in workforce planning, education, data quality and professional development opportunities for the perioperative workforce across NHS Wales.

Launched in 2024, the Theatre Transformation Project was designed to support the development of an optimised, multi-professional theatres workforce, capable of delivering safe, efficient and effective perioperative care to people in Wales.

Prior to the project, theatre utilisation across the country averaged at around 70%, with workforce shortages placing growing pressure on services. With the project concluding this month, its achievements are expected to support increased theatre utilisation, which may help to reduce waiting times and improve outcomes for patients.

To ensure the project’s success, HEIW engaged with theatre professionals, practice educators and workforce planners and a range of other stakeholders across Wales and other UK nations. This collaborative approach provided valuable insight into the challenges facing theatre departments in Wales, enabling the development of practical and targeted solutions to strengthen the workforce and support sustainable, high quality perioperative services.

An improved understanding and detailed analysis of the perioperative workforce in Wales highlighted the diverse range of roles across theatre services, promoting more flexible, efficient and sustainable workforce models. For theatre professionals, improved workforce models will help manage workloads more effectively, reduce stress, and support career development within teams, ultimately contributing to more resilient and efficient theatre services.

The project has also strengthened workforce data by identifying inconsistencies and providing recommendations to improve workforce intelligence. These enhanced insights will enable theatre leaders and workforce planners to make informed decisions on staffing, scheduling and service delivery, ensuring that teams are appropriately resourced and patients receive timely and safe care.

Education and training provision across Wales has been comprehensively mapped, uncovering gaps and highlighting opportunities to strengthen career development pathways. An education and training gap analysis and options appraisal has been completed to guide long-term solutions, to contribute to safer practice and improved patient outcomes.

The project has also delivered tailored professional development initiatives, including bespoke leadership training and access to online learning resources. These opportunities help equip theatre staff to lead teams effectively and respond to service pressures with increased confidence. New IT equipment has also been rolled out across NHS Wales health boards to enable work-based learning.

To ensure the project’s impact continues beyond its completion, two key resources are in development to provide additional support for the perioperative workforce. Launching this spring, these are:

• A Perioperative Workforce Report, which will summarise national workforce findings and highlight the range of roles that underpin theatre services across Wales.
• An interactive Perioperative Workforce Guide, which will provide practical information, case studies, career frameworks, workforce models and resources to support workforce planning, service transformation and education within theatre settings in Wales.

Reflecting on the project and its successes, Anna Gray, Strategic Workforce Planning Manager at HEIW, said:

“As a registered Operatring Department Practitioner and workforce planner by background, I know how important this project is for the perioperative workforce and for delivery of efficient theatre services. This has also been recognised by those we have engaged with throughout this piece of work and without such positive collaboration within Wales and across other UK nations, this project would not have been able to achieve all that it has.

“It has been an honour to work with like-minded individuals, seeking to achieve positive outcomes to help shape workforce, education and data quality solutions for both the current and future perioperative workforce.

“I am delighted by what the project team has achieved and feel encouraged that the tools, resources and educational opportunities will positively contribute to implementation of sustainable, efficient workforce solutions across theatre departments in Wales.”

HEIW would like to thank those who have collaborated and supported the project team over the last two years. This includes a wide range of stakeholders within and external to Wales, as theatre leads, practice educators, workforce planners and business intelligence colleagues.