Surgical ward rounds in England: a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice

Ceri Rowlands; Shelly N Griffiths; Natalie S Blencowe; Alexander Brown; Andrew Hollowood; Steve T Hornby; Sarah K Richards; Jennifer Smith; Sean Strong; Severn and Peninsula Audit and Research Collaborative for Surgeons (SPARCS)

doi:10.1186/1754-9493-8-11

Surgical ward rounds in England: a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice

Ceri Rowlands, Shelly N Griffiths, Natalie S Blencowe, Alexander Brown, Andrew Hollowood, Steve T Hornby, Sarah K Richards, Jennifer Smith, Sean Strong, Severn and Peninsula Audit and Research Collaborative for Surgeons (SPARCS)

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10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recent guidance advocates daily consultant-led ward rounds, conducted in the morning with the presence of senior nursing staff and minimising patients on outlying wards. These recommendations aim to improve patient management through timely investigations, treatment and discharge. This study sought to evaluate the current surgical ward round practices in England.

METHODS: Information regarding timing and staffing levels of surgical ward rounds was collected prospectively over a one-week period. The location of each patient was also documented. Two surgical trainee research collaboratives coordinated data collection from 19 hospitals and 13 surgical subspecialties.

RESULTS: Data from 471 ward rounds involving 5622 patient encounters was obtained. 367 (77.9%) ward rounds commenced before 9am. Of 422 weekday rounds, 190 (45%) were consultant-led compared with 33 of the 49 (67%) weekend rounds. 2474 (44%) patients were seen with a nurse present. 1518 patients (27%) were classified as outliers, with 361 ward rounds (67%) reporting at least one outlying patient.

CONCLUSION: Recommendations for daily consultant-led multi disciplinary ward rounds are poorly implemented in surgical practice, and patients continue to be managed on outlying wards. Although strategies may be employed to improve nursing attendance on ward rounds, substantial changes to workforce planning would be required to deliver daily consultant-led care. An increasing political focus on patient outcomes at weekends may prompt changes in these areas.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	11
Journal	Patient Safety in Surgery
Volume	8
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-9493-8-11
Publication status	Published - 2014

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Centre for Surgical Research

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Rowlands, C., Griffiths, S. N., Blencowe, N. S., Brown, A., Hollowood, A., Hornby, S. T., Richards, S. K., Smith, J., Strong, S., & Severn and Peninsula Audit and Research Collaborative for Surgeons (SPARCS) (2014). Surgical ward rounds in England: a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice. Patient Safety in Surgery, 8(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-9493-8-11

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title = "Surgical ward rounds in England: a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Recent guidance advocates daily consultant-led ward rounds, conducted in the morning with the presence of senior nursing staff and minimising patients on outlying wards. These recommendations aim to improve patient management through timely investigations, treatment and discharge. This study sought to evaluate the current surgical ward round practices in England.METHODS: Information regarding timing and staffing levels of surgical ward rounds was collected prospectively over a one-week period. The location of each patient was also documented. Two surgical trainee research collaboratives coordinated data collection from 19 hospitals and 13 surgical subspecialties.RESULTS: Data from 471 ward rounds involving 5622 patient encounters was obtained. 367 (77.9%) ward rounds commenced before 9am. Of 422 weekday rounds, 190 (45%) were consultant-led compared with 33 of the 49 (67%) weekend rounds. 2474 (44%) patients were seen with a nurse present. 1518 patients (27%) were classified as outliers, with 361 ward rounds (67%) reporting at least one outlying patient.CONCLUSION: Recommendations for daily consultant-led multi disciplinary ward rounds are poorly implemented in surgical practice, and patients continue to be managed on outlying wards. Although strategies may be employed to improve nursing attendance on ward rounds, substantial changes to workforce planning would be required to deliver daily consultant-led care. An increasing political focus on patient outcomes at weekends may prompt changes in these areas.",

author = "Ceri Rowlands and Griffiths, {Shelly N} and Blencowe, {Natalie S} and Alexander Brown and Andrew Hollowood and Hornby, {Steve T} and Richards, {Sarah K} and Jennifer Smith and Sean Strong and {Severn and Peninsula Audit and Research Collaborative for Surgeons (SPARCS)}",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1186/1754-9493-8-11",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "11",

journal = "Patient Safety in Surgery",

issn = "1754-9493",

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}

Rowlands, C, Griffiths, SN, Blencowe, NS, Brown, A, Hollowood, A, Hornby, ST, Richards, SK, Smith, J, Strong, S & Severn and Peninsula Audit and Research Collaborative for Surgeons (SPARCS) 2014, 'Surgical ward rounds in England: a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice', Patient Safety in Surgery, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-9493-8-11

TY - JOUR

T1 - Surgical ward rounds in England

T2 - a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice

AU - Rowlands, Ceri

AU - Griffiths, Shelly N

AU - Blencowe, Natalie S

AU - Brown, Alexander

AU - Hollowood, Andrew

AU - Hornby, Steve T

AU - Richards, Sarah K

AU - Smith, Jennifer

AU - Strong, Sean

AU - Severn and Peninsula Audit and Research Collaborative for Surgeons (SPARCS)

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - BACKGROUND: Recent guidance advocates daily consultant-led ward rounds, conducted in the morning with the presence of senior nursing staff and minimising patients on outlying wards. These recommendations aim to improve patient management through timely investigations, treatment and discharge. This study sought to evaluate the current surgical ward round practices in England.METHODS: Information regarding timing and staffing levels of surgical ward rounds was collected prospectively over a one-week period. The location of each patient was also documented. Two surgical trainee research collaboratives coordinated data collection from 19 hospitals and 13 surgical subspecialties.RESULTS: Data from 471 ward rounds involving 5622 patient encounters was obtained. 367 (77.9%) ward rounds commenced before 9am. Of 422 weekday rounds, 190 (45%) were consultant-led compared with 33 of the 49 (67%) weekend rounds. 2474 (44%) patients were seen with a nurse present. 1518 patients (27%) were classified as outliers, with 361 ward rounds (67%) reporting at least one outlying patient.CONCLUSION: Recommendations for daily consultant-led multi disciplinary ward rounds are poorly implemented in surgical practice, and patients continue to be managed on outlying wards. Although strategies may be employed to improve nursing attendance on ward rounds, substantial changes to workforce planning would be required to deliver daily consultant-led care. An increasing political focus on patient outcomes at weekends may prompt changes in these areas.

AB - BACKGROUND: Recent guidance advocates daily consultant-led ward rounds, conducted in the morning with the presence of senior nursing staff and minimising patients on outlying wards. These recommendations aim to improve patient management through timely investigations, treatment and discharge. This study sought to evaluate the current surgical ward round practices in England.METHODS: Information regarding timing and staffing levels of surgical ward rounds was collected prospectively over a one-week period. The location of each patient was also documented. Two surgical trainee research collaboratives coordinated data collection from 19 hospitals and 13 surgical subspecialties.RESULTS: Data from 471 ward rounds involving 5622 patient encounters was obtained. 367 (77.9%) ward rounds commenced before 9am. Of 422 weekday rounds, 190 (45%) were consultant-led compared with 33 of the 49 (67%) weekend rounds. 2474 (44%) patients were seen with a nurse present. 1518 patients (27%) were classified as outliers, with 361 ward rounds (67%) reporting at least one outlying patient.CONCLUSION: Recommendations for daily consultant-led multi disciplinary ward rounds are poorly implemented in surgical practice, and patients continue to be managed on outlying wards. Although strategies may be employed to improve nursing attendance on ward rounds, substantial changes to workforce planning would be required to deliver daily consultant-led care. An increasing political focus on patient outcomes at weekends may prompt changes in these areas.

U2 - 10.1186/1754-9493-8-11

DO - 10.1186/1754-9493-8-11

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 24581228

SN - 1754-9493

VL - 8

SP - 11

JO - Patient Safety in Surgery

JF - Patient Safety in Surgery

IS - 1

ER -

Surgical ward rounds in England: a trainee-led multi-centre study of current practice

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