Introduction Inefficient theatre utilisation is costly for patients, staff and healthcare organisations. Active management projects have proven effective at identifying and streamlining delays in the perioperative patient journey.

Aim The aim of this study is to assess whether a novel, wearable, autonomous, Wi-Fi-based real-time location services (RTLS) device could be used to accurately record and process theatre utilisation data.

Methods A novel RTLS device was employed in our theatre department between June and September 2017. Data were collected pertaining to time of arrival and departure from the surgical day ward, operating theatre and recovery using this device, and compared with our institution’s existing written record of theatre data.

Results 101 patients were enrolled, but manually recorded data were unavailable on 18 patients. Among the remaining 83 patients, mean difference in recorded start times was 0.43 min (p=0.64). Mean difference in theatre end times was 1.63 min (p=0.41). Mean difference recorded in overall time in theatre was 1.19 min (p=0.59).

Conclusion The RTLS device provided a reliable record of theatre utilisation, without requiring manual input, with potential as a tool to identify and improve inefficiencies in the theatre department.