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

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2 Specialties Stroke medicineResearchStroke medicine is founded on an increasing evidencebase <strong>of</strong> high-quality international randomisedcontrolled trials and was represented early in theCochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.org). TheNational Institute for Health Research Stroke ResearchNetwork (NIHR SRN) is one <strong>of</strong> the five main UKclinical research networks (www.uksrn.ac.uk).Specialty guidelines, audits andquality toolsSpecialty guidelines, audits and quality tools arepresented in Box 2.Regional and national workStroke <strong>physicians</strong> work <strong>with</strong>in local clinical networks.Many are involved in the RCP Stroke Programme(Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit, RCP), theIntercollegiate Stroke Working Party (ICSWP, RCP),and <strong>with</strong> BASP and the NIHR SRN. Current stroke<strong>physicians</strong> are the founder members <strong>of</strong> a new nationalspecialty and continue to work together to developnational service specifications, deliver integratedservices and train future specialists.6 Clinical work <strong>of</strong> consultantsHow a specialist works in this specialty<strong>Consultant</strong> stroke physicans are expected to providedaily assessment <strong>of</strong> new confirmed and suspected strokeand TIA <strong>patients</strong>, including at weekends and bankholidays. Weekly acute and rehabilitation MDTmeetings and twice-weekly ward rounds <strong>of</strong>rehabilitation <strong>patients</strong> are specified. 4Outpatient reivew <strong>of</strong> high-risk TIA <strong>patients</strong> <strong>with</strong>in24 hours and low-risk TIA <strong>patients</strong> <strong>with</strong>in 7 days, and atleast two outpatient review opportunities afterdischarge from a stroke unit, must be provided. Strokespecialists will participate in clinics for spasticity, painand other stroke-related complications.Specialist on callTwenty-four-hour availability <strong>of</strong> an experienced strokephysician for diagnosis and opinion on thrombolysistreatment is mandatory. Few hospitals currently havesufficient experienced consultants <strong>with</strong>in stroke/neurology to provide cover <strong>with</strong>in the EuropeanWorking Time Directive criteria. Hyperacute centresand telemedicine are possible methods <strong>of</strong> achieving a24-hour service.Other specialist activity including activitiesbeyond the local servicesMany stroke <strong>physicians</strong> play an active role in provision<strong>of</strong> tertiary services, research and service development(see above).7 Opportunities for integrated careThe NICE Quality standard for stroke 14 requires thatstroke services are commissioned from and coordinatedacross all relevant agencies to encompass the wholestroke pathway.8 Workforce requirements for the specialtyClinical developments in UK stroke services haveovertaken the specialist resource needed to supportthem. Using nationally approved clinical standards, it iscalculated that 20 direct clinical care (DCC) programmedactivities (PAs) are required to support a serviceadmitting 500 <strong>patients</strong> per year (approximately 300,000population). A population <strong>of</strong> 60 million requires 2,800DCC PAs from stroke specialists. This is equivalent to350 whole-time equivalent (WTE) consultants.However, (RCP) census data indicate that most stroke<strong>physicians</strong> also provide input into another specialty(www.rcplondon.ac.uk/resources). It is acknowledgedthat some aspects <strong>of</strong> stroke care are currently providedby consultants who are not stroke specialists accordingto BASP criteria. Allowing for such subspecialistsupport, it is calculated that the stroke specialistshortfall is currently 163 posts, ie 513 stroke specialistsare required in the UK. In 2011, 40 stroke trainees wereexpected to complete specialist training by 2014.BASP recommended that an extra 30 stroke medicinetrainee places are created per year in the UK for the next4years. 49 <strong>Consultant</strong> work programme/specimenjob planStroke specialists should provide a mimum <strong>of</strong> 5 PAs intostrokecare,usually4DCCPAsand1SPA.Theremaining 5 PAs can support a parent specialty.However, consultants may provide more or less timethan this into stroke care, eg a full-time stroke specialistcould provide 8 DCC PAs and 2 SPAs but would notprovide any input into a parent specialty. 4 For thepurposes <strong>of</strong> this example it is assumed that a 1.0 WTEstroke consultant provides 2.5 DCC PAs into the parentspeciality (Table 1).C○ <strong>Royal</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Physicians 2013 259

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