Consultant Led On-Call ENT Service- A Necessity for the Future?
Atkinson H, Freethy A, Ward VM.
Pinderfields Hospital, Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust, Wakefield, UK.

Abstract
As the NHS is under considerable winter pressures and the number and experience of junior doctors is reducing, the impact on the ENT acute service is substantial. Increasingly SHOs no longer undertake the ‘casualty clinic’, as on-call commitments and inexperience makes it no longer tenable. Pressure on hospitals to reduce admissions adds to the argument for senior input in the acute ENT service.

This study was to assess the impact on training, cost and patients of introducing a consultant led on-call service. 

Consultant ENT surgeons took initial referrals from primary care and accident and emergency in one NHS trust for a month. During this time elective commitments were cancelled. These cancellations impart a significant cost, but does the improvement in training, reduction of inpatient stay and outpatient appointments make this acceptable to NHS trusts? We discuss our results and the impact of the long-term implementation of this on call system.

Consultant led on-call ENT service: a necessity for the future?