Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Improving safety out of hours

Summary

In 2019 the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) carried out a survey which evidenced the extent of non-consultant hospital doctors’ concerns about different aspects of their ability to deliver out of hours care. Respondents were also asked to give examples or aspirations of best practice.

This report uses this survey data and examples of best practice to provide a proactive guideline to support trainee surgeons. The survey found that there were five key areas requiring improvement for nonconsultant hospital doctors when working OOH, specifically: a) electronic systems; b) supervision; c) training; d) staffing; e) facilities. This document considers the results of the survey to make recommendations on best practice that will support non-consultant hospital doctors and protect patients out of hours.