Consultant presence during 'peak activity' - Barnsley Hospital

This page provides a best practice example for standard 1 of Facing the Future: Standards for acute general paediatric services, which outlines the consultant 'hot week' system at Barnsley Hospital, which ensures that there is consultant presence in the hospital during self-defined periods of 'peak activity'. Consultant delivered care affords rapid and appropriate decision-making, efficient use of resources, continuity of care, and an improved work life balance for clinicians.

Standard 1: A consultant paediatrician is present and readily available in the hospital during peak activity, seven days a week.

Model

  • Barnsley Hospital's paediatric unit is staffed by eight acute care consultants and one community consultant, who work on a 'hot week' system.
  • 'Peak activity' is defined as late afternoon and evening.
  • From Monday to Friday, a different consultant is on site each day of the week to cover on-call until 22:00 - leading handovers at 09:00, 16:30 and 21:00.
  • On weekends, one consultant is on site from 09:00 to 14:30 and from 19:30 - 22:00, leading handovers at 09:00 and 21:00. The consultant is on-call between 14:30 and 19:30 and throughout the night.

Contact for further information

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Sunil Bhimsaria, Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Lead - sunilbhimsaria@nhs.net