Commenting on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ report, Seven day consultant present care, Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians said:
In December 2010, the Royal College of Physicians published its position statement, Care of medical patients out of hours, where we suggested that hospitals undertaking the admission of acutely ill medical patients should have a consultant physician on-site for at least 12 hours per day, 7 days per week, at times related to peak admissions. We also suggested that the consultant should have no other duties scheduled during the whole of this period.
This report suggests that hospital inpatients should be reviewed by on on-site consultant at least once every 24 hours, 7 days a week, unless it has been determined that this would not affect the patient’s care pathway - as did the RCP’s 2010 statement.
While the RCP accepts this principle as an aspirational standard for all physicians, we believe this will require service redesign and may have resource implications to make this standard a comprehensive reality. The RCP is currently reviewing the standards of care for medical inpatients, including 7 day working, in our groundbreaking Future Hospital Commission, which will report in Spring 2013.
For further information, please contact Lisa Cunningham, Public Affairs Manager, on +44 (0)20 3075 1468 / 07990 745610, or email lisa.cunningham@rcplondon.ac.uk