What is a consultant 

Transcript of What is a consultant

WHAT IS A CONSULTANT?

In general, consultants work in hospitals

and a consultant is a lead of a team.

Every patient who is admitted to hospital has a consultant

who is responsible for their care whilst they're in hospital.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONSULTANT AND A SPECIALIST?

In general, consultants have a particular area,

for example, cardiac surgery or gastroenterology,

and are expert in that particular area.

All consultants are specialists, but some specialists aren't consultants

because there are grades in hospitals

where people are specialists, but haven't achieved the consultant grade.

WHAT TRAINING DO CONSULTANTS RECEIVE?

Typically, a consultant will have gone to medical school

and spent five or six years at medical school.

They will then go through a basic training programme

which may take two or three years and then a specialised training programme

which may take five or six years also.

At the end of that time, sometimes they have to pass an exam

and then they will go on to apply through a competitive process

to get a consultant job in the NHS.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN MISCONCEPTIONS

ABOUT CONSULTANTS?

Some of the misconceptions that the public may have about consultants

is to think that they are independent practitioners.

By and large, consultants working in NHS hospitals

work as part and parcel of the team and work within a structure

whereby they have managers sitting above them,

they're responsible to the chief executive of the hospital

and they have terms and conditions of services

which are designed to ensure patients always get the best possible care.

CAN I CHOOSE MY CONSULTANT?

As a member of the public, you do have a choice about which hospital you go to

and which consultant you go to.

That can be quite applicable if you have a problem which isn't urgent

and you have the time to choose and get the right appointment for you.

It's important that people are supported to make the best choices for them.

When you're admitted as an emergency, for example, you don't have a choice.

You will be looked after by the people who are there at that particular time.

But there is an ability to make choices after that

if you're not happy with the care that you're getting.

CAN I GET A SECOND OPINION?

It ought to be easy to get a second opinion if you're not happy.

Indeed, in my practice I get people sent to me for second opinions

and I get people who see me and ask for a second opinion from somebody else.

Both of those things, as far as I'm concerned, are great

because it's about trying to get the best for that particular patient.

If you want a second opinion, you can ask the consultant directly

and they should facilitate that for you.

If you don't feel comfortable with that,

if you go back to your general practitioner,

they can help you with that.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN PATIENT AND CONSULTANT?

The relationship between a patient and a consultant can be very straightforward

and you come in, have something done, and that's the end.

If all goes well, that's absolutely great.

On other occasions, particularly with people with long-term conditions,

the relationship between the patient and the consultant

can be really very important because those people can be working together,

the patient with the disease and the consultant, for very many years.

Actually, we believe if the experience that the patients are getting

and the relationship is right, it will lead to better outcomes for health.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CHOOSING A CONSULTANT VISIT:

www.nhs.uk/consultantchoice