What is my consultant’s name?
This is not always easy to work out. The consultant is the senior doctor under whose care you are under in a hospital, or in the outpatient’s department at the hospital. It is very important you know their name and how to contact them.
Although you may be seen by middle grade (registrars) or junior doctors – or nurses or allied healthcare professionals – in the team, it is they who are ultimately responsible for your care.
In most cases clinic letters are copied to patients and this will normally state who is your consultant in the letter.
After an admission to hospital, there will be a discharge summary given to you and your GP. This will state the consultant who was responsible for you during the hospital stay.
If you cannot glean get the name of your consultant from the above, you can contact the hospital department they work in, the hospital PALS team or your GP. Finally, we suggest you place the names of all doctors that you have contact with, especially consultants, in your medical record. This is true for all hospitals, including mental health ones.
Summary
We have explained why it is important to know your consultant’s name, and how to contact them.
