Supporting continuity of care and safe delegation

Supporting continuity of care is a key area of change in Good medical practice and has been enhanced to acknowledge the challenge of providing continuity of care in healthcare systems under pressure. We have also reflected this change in Achieving good medical practice.

• Continuity of care is important for all patients, but especially those who may struggle to navigate their healthcare journey or advocate for themselves. Continuity is particularly important when care is shared between teams, between different members of the same team, or when patients are transferred between care providers. (Paragraph 59)
• To contribute to continuity of care, registered doctors must:
• promptly share all relevant information about patients with others involved in their care, within and across teams as required
• share information with patients about the progress of their care, who is responsible for which aspect of their care, and the name of the lead clinician or team with overall responsibility for their care
• be confident that information necessary for ongoing care has been shared before they go off duty, delegate care, or refer the patient to another health or social care provider
• check, where practical, that a named clinician or team has taken over responsibility when their role in a patient's care has ended. (Paragraph 60)

A paragraph has been added to clarify doctors' duties around safe delegation. And there is new information if asked to complete a task you're unsure of.

• If a task is delegated to a doctor by a colleague but they are not confident they have the necessary knowledge, skills or training to carry it out safely, they must prioritise patient safety and seek help, even if they've already agreed to carry out the task independently. More detailed guidance can be found in Delegation and referral. (paragraph 62)
• There are some circumstances where you should not be carrying out a task:
• if it is unfamiliar to you
• if you do not believe you are competent to carry it out safely
• if you feel that you do not have the appropriate supervision or support to carry out the task
• if it has not been signed off by a supervisor.

Under these circumstances you must not carry out the task and should notify your supervisor or another healthcare professional, and notify your medical school as soon as possible. (Paragraph 63).