Consultant physicians working with patients - Royal College of ...

2 Specialties Infectious diseases and tropical medicine9 Consultant work programme/specimenjob planTable 1 shows a work programme for infectious diseasesand tropical medicine physicians.Table 1 Work programme for infectious diseases andtropical medicine physicians ∗ActivityFrequencyWard rounds 2 per week 2Clinics 2 per week 2MDT meeting 1 per week 0.25X-ray meeting 1 per week 0.25Patient-related admin per week 0.5Ward consultation work ad hoc in week 2Weekend rounds 1 weekend/month 0.5Supervising trainees 2 per consultant 0.5Postgraduate meetings 2 per week 0.5Governance/revalidation 0.25Teaching weekly 0.25Research 1Clinicalsupportingprogrammedactivities∗ The table assumes an inpatient ward of 20–25 patients, and 15–20consultations with patients outside the ward. It does not include acutegeneral medicine work.10 Key points for commissioners1 Infectious diseases units provide care for patientswith acute infections, including imported ones andthis requires 24-hour availability, single-roomavailability and, ideally, less than 100% bedoccupancy.2 Because infectious diseases units commonly dealwith contagious infections, they need to have goodisolation facilities with single rooms, includingnegative pressure ventilation for some rooms, inorder to provide safe respiratory isolation forconditions like TB.3 Infectious diseases physicians are very involvedwith the inpatient and outpatient management ofthose with blood-borne virus infections (eg HIV)and need to be able to provide outpatientmanagement for increasing numbers of cases assurvival rates are now so much better.4 Job planning for infectious diseases physiciansneedstotakeintoaccountthefactthatmuchoftheir work involves providing clinical consultationand advice for doctors in other specialties.5 Infectious diseases physicians provide a keygovernance role with their activities aroundinfection control and involvement in antibioticstewardship.6 Most infectious diseases physicians are involved inacademic work and the ability to fostertranslational research will be increasinglyimportant for the NHS.7 Infectious diseases physicians need the resourcesand flexibility to deal with outbreaks, whether withknown pathogens like swine influenza or new oneslike SARS.8 Because infectious diseases units often deal withvulnerable groups such as refugees, intravenousdrug users, prisoners etc they need good access toancillary services.9 Many infectious diseases physicians are dualtrained in general medicine and can help toimprove the quality of infection control andmanagement on the acute medical ‘take’.10 If, as is likely, pathology services becomecentralised, those infectious diseases physiciansjointly trained in microbiology will be neededto provide test interpretation and qualityassurance.Note to readers: This chapter has not been updated for the revised 5th edition 2013. The text has been reproduced from the 2011 edition.C○ Royal College of Physicians 2013 151