Table 2.

Benefits and disadvantages of daily consultant ward rounds

Benefits	Disadvantages
Improved quality of care for example:	Loss of outpatient clinic and endoscopy sessions
Early intervention for deteriorating patients
Better assessments
More timely reviews of drugs
Lower mortality for inpatients	Requires rapid review
Reduced length of stay for inpatients	Requires prompt investigations from diagnostic departments
Juniors are not required to make unsupported decisions	Juniors tend to leave routine decisions to consultants
More predictability for juniors to prepare for ward round	Less time for questions from juniors on each ward round
Juniors are taught every day
Greater guidance for the multidisciplinary team
Improved team working
Encourages parallel, nurse-led, quality initiatives
Consultant access for patients and families
Fewer interruptions to consultants' daily work when not on the wards