Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T17:35:24.318Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Consultant-based otolaryngology emergency service: a five-year experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2011

M L Barnes  and
S S M Hussain
M L Barnes
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and University of Dundee Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, UK
S S M Hussain*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and University of Dundee Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr S S Musheer Hussain, Consultant Otolaryngologist, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK Fax: +44 (0)1382 632816 E-mail: musheer.hussain@nhs.net
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

To present our experience of running a consultant-based otolaryngology emergency care service for more than five years.

Materials and methods:

In 2003, we developed a system of consultant-based emergency service: consultants spent a week on-call providing a dedicated emergency service, with routine commitments cancelled.

Results:

Our new system had advantages over traditional working practices in terms of consultant involvement, trainee education, continuity and efficiency. It also reduced disruption to elective commitments for both consultants and registrars. This system was fundamental to the successful review of all urgent (and in future elective) cases within target periods. Only 31 per cent of new referrals to the consultant emergency clinics required a further appointment. Good teamwork and flexibility in working arrangements have been essential to the success of this service.

Conclusion:

Given that health service changes have reduced junior trainee working hours and numbers, and that patients increasingly expect to be treated by trained doctors, our new consultant-based emergency service has merit. Although implementation in other units may differ, we recommend this new service, for the above reasons.

Keywords

OtolaryngologyEmergency Medical ServicesScotlandHealth Care ReformWork Schedule Tolerance
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 125 , Issue 12 , December 2011 , pp. 1225 - 1231
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Hussain, SSM, White, PS. Consultant led otolaryngology emergency service. ENT News 2004;13:63–4Google Scholar
2Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 Concerning Certain Aspects of the Organization of Working Time. Strasboug: Council of the European Union, 1993CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Statutory Instrument 1998 No 1833: The Working Time Regulations. London: HMSO, 1998Google Scholar
4The hospital at night. In: http://www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/hospitalatnight.html [21 March 2010]Google Scholar
5The NHS Modernization Agency 2006. In: http://www.institute.nhs.uk/ [21 March 2010]Google Scholar
6Mahon, A, Harris, C, Tyrer, J, Carr, S, Lowson, K, Carr, L, et al. The Implementation and Impact of Hospital at Night Pilot Projects: an Evaluation Report. London: Department of Health, 2005Google Scholar
7NHS Response to European Working Time Directive Results in Better Patient Care. In: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Pressreleases/DH_4118010 [27 February 2011]Google Scholar
8MacKay, C, SASM Chief Executive Group. Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality, annual report. Health Bull (Edinb) 1997;55:126–7Google Scholar
9Modernising medical careers (MMC) team. In: http://www.mmc.nhs.uk/ [23 July 2010]Google Scholar
10The new consultant contract. In: http://www.paymodernisation.scot.nhs.uk/consultant/index.htm [31 July 2010]Google Scholar
11The new consultant contract. In: http://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/index.php/pay/medical/consultants [31 July 2010]Google Scholar
12Montague, ML, Hussain, SSM. Patient perceptions of the otolaryngology ward round in a teaching hospital. J Laryngol Otol 2006;120:314–18CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Montague, ML, Lee, MS, Hussain, SSM. Staff attitudes to a daily otolaryngology ward round. J Laryngol Otol 2004;118:963–71CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed