Hospital patients ‘should have a named doctor’

The so-called “name above the bed” initiative will mean that patients and their relatives and carers will know which doctor is ultimately responsible for all aspects of their care, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC) said.

New guidance from the AMRC says every patient should be provided with the names of a responsible consultant and nurse during their stay. It is understood that around 40 per cent of hospitals in England provide patients with such details but health officials want to see the initiative rolled out across the board.

The Government said it would introduce the measure as part of its response to the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry.

Inquiry chair Robert Francis QC said that if a named clinician were accountable throughout a patient’s treatment in hospital then patient safety and the overall quality of care could be improved, an AMRC spokesman said.

As well as giving more accountability to doctors the guidance says a “named nurse” should always be available to be a primary point of contact and provide patients with information about their care.

The Care Quality Commission will consider whether or not the measure has been implemented when they inspect hospitals, a Department of Health spokeswoman said.

AMRC chair Professor Terence Stephenson added: “Doctors recognise that we need to have clear lines of responsibility when it comes to the way that patients 
are treated during their stay in hospital.”