Consultant (medicine)
Encyclopedia
In the United Kingdom
, Republic of Ireland
, and parts of the Commonwealth
, consultant is the title of a senior doctor
who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty. Consultants accept ultimate responsibility for the care of all the patients referred to them,http://www.bma.org.uk/images/roleofconsultant0708_tcm41-169893.pdf so the job carries enormous personal responsibility.
A doctor must be on the Specialist Register before he or she may be employed as a substantive consultant in the National Health Service
. This usually entails holding a Certificate of Completion of Training
in any of the recognised specialties, but academics with substantial publications and international reputation may be exempted from this requirement, in the expectation that they will practice at a tertiary level. "Locum consultant" appointments of limited duration may be given to those with clinical experience, with or without higher qualifications.
Virtually all consultants in the UK are employed by the NHS, rendering the NHS a virtual monopoly of career opportunities for the senior hospital doctor community in the UK, and apart from one or two specialites there are virtually no opportunities for consultants to earn a living completely outside of the NHS.
A consultant typically leads a "firm" (team of doctors) which comprises Speciality Registrars, and Foundation Doctors, all training to work in the consultant's specialty, as well as other "career grade" doctors such as clinical assistants, clinical fellows, Speciality Doctors, Associate Specialists and staff grade
doctors. They also have numerous other key roles in the functioning of hospitals and the wider health service.http://www.bma.org.uk/careers/becoming_doctor/roleofconsultant0708.jsp
The time required to become a consultant depends upon a number of factors, but principally the specialty chosen. Certain specialties require longer training, or are more competitive, and therefore becoming a consultant can take longer. Other specialties are relatively easy to progress through, and it is possible for a doctor to become a consultant much earlier in his or her career. After Modernising Medical Careers
came into operation (in early 2007), the length of training was fixed for the majority of doctors, at about nine years.
Most consultants work on a long-term contract with one or more hospital trusts, and these posts are known as substantive consultant positions. Various titles (such as senior consultant, clinical director, medical director, etc.) exist for consultants who have particular responsibilities for the overall management of the hospital
. Consultants have the right to undertake private medical work outside of their contracted hours of work for the NHS.
Other doctors - some without a CCT, a few who have only just obtained that qualification, and others who have retired from substantive appointments - may be employed as locum consultants, who have the same clinical responsibility, but are not responsible for management or training of junior staff, and are typically on fixed, short-term contracts.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and parts of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, consultant is the title of a senior doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty. Consultants accept ultimate responsibility for the care of all the patients referred to them,http://www.bma.org.uk/images/roleofconsultant0708_tcm41-169893.pdf so the job carries enormous personal responsibility.
A doctor must be on the Specialist Register before he or she may be employed as a substantive consultant in the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
. This usually entails holding a Certificate of Completion of Training
Certificate of Completion of Training
CCT or Certificate of Completion of Training is the certificate that physicians in the United Kingdom receive to indicate that they have completed training in their chosen specialty and are eligible to apply for a post as a consultant or a general practitioner .This certificate is awarded by the...
in any of the recognised specialties, but academics with substantial publications and international reputation may be exempted from this requirement, in the expectation that they will practice at a tertiary level. "Locum consultant" appointments of limited duration may be given to those with clinical experience, with or without higher qualifications.
Virtually all consultants in the UK are employed by the NHS, rendering the NHS a virtual monopoly of career opportunities for the senior hospital doctor community in the UK, and apart from one or two specialites there are virtually no opportunities for consultants to earn a living completely outside of the NHS.
A consultant typically leads a "firm" (team of doctors) which comprises Speciality Registrars, and Foundation Doctors, all training to work in the consultant's specialty, as well as other "career grade" doctors such as clinical assistants, clinical fellows, Speciality Doctors, Associate Specialists and staff grade
Staff grade
In the United Kingdom, a staff grade doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position as a middle grade doctor. Doctors may have been appointed to this position based on experience and not all doctors will have done postgraduate examinations to reach this position. In the past Staff grades...
doctors. They also have numerous other key roles in the functioning of hospitals and the wider health service.http://www.bma.org.uk/careers/becoming_doctor/roleofconsultant0708.jsp
The time required to become a consultant depends upon a number of factors, but principally the specialty chosen. Certain specialties require longer training, or are more competitive, and therefore becoming a consultant can take longer. Other specialties are relatively easy to progress through, and it is possible for a doctor to become a consultant much earlier in his or her career. After Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...
came into operation (in early 2007), the length of training was fixed for the majority of doctors, at about nine years.
Most consultants work on a long-term contract with one or more hospital trusts, and these posts are known as substantive consultant positions. Various titles (such as senior consultant, clinical director, medical director, etc.) exist for consultants who have particular responsibilities for the overall management of the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. Consultants have the right to undertake private medical work outside of their contracted hours of work for the NHS.
Other doctors - some without a CCT, a few who have only just obtained that qualification, and others who have retired from substantive appointments - may be employed as locum consultants, who have the same clinical responsibility, but are not responsible for management or training of junior staff, and are typically on fixed, short-term contracts.
See also
- Attending physicianAttending physicianIn the United States, an attending physician is a physician who has completed residency and practices medicine in a clinic or hospital, in the specialty learned during residency. An attending physician can supervise fellows, residents, and medical students...
(The equivalent position in the United States of America) - Modernising Medical CareersModernising Medical CareersModernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...