Patients 'unwilling to be models'
Patients would rather wait for a consultant
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Friday, 25, May 2007 08:02
Almost half of all patients would not be happy being operated on by a supervised surgical trainee, a new survey has found.
Scientists have warned that the findings have important implications for the future of surgeons' training given the current political emphasis on patient choice in the provision of care.
Just under 200 patients undergoing eye cataract surgery between January and March 2006 were asked a number of questions on their preferences regarding the surgeon performing the operation.
Each year in the UK approximately 270,000 people undergo cataract surgery on the NHS. Many of these are performed by ophthalmologists during their six-and-a-half years in training to ensure they gain a sufficient level of surgical exposure to enable them to perform cataract surgery independently.
The survey found that although 126 people (76 per cent) accepted that trainees should operate as part of their training, only 102 (57 per cent of the total) said they would be happy to be operated on themselves by a supervised trainee.
Nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed said they would choose to wait longer for their surgery if it meant a consultant would perform their operation.
Commenting on the findings, the researchers state: "Patients are now being empowered to exercise choice in the provision of their medical care within the NHS. Presently, patients are unable to choose the name or designation of their operating surgeon when listed for a procedure although by choosing certain options, this may always be a 'specialist'.
"This study suggests, however, that if they were allowed to exercise this choice in the future, there may be serious implications for training in certain surgical procedures."
The study is published today in the journal Eye.