The main recommendations of the report inot the circumstances surrounding the death of Frances Sheridan
- A junior doctor who requires a second opinion should request that opinion from an appropriate senior colleague.
- All patients who present in A&E with a problem associated with recent surgery should have all urgent management commenced and be referred to the surgical team who carried out the surgery. If they are not available, the surgical on-call team should be notified.
- When patients are referred by GPs to A&E for admission and are then discharged by A&E staff, A&E should notify the GP or the doctor-on-call service before the patient leaves the hospital.
- An experienced triage nurse should be rostered on every shift and this nurse should have "protected time" with patients.
- Joint department guidelines between A&E and the surgery department should be developed as a priority.
- Staff at any rank within a team should be encouraged to raise their concerns.
- Patients discharged from A&E should be given clear advice when to seek medical advice or return to the A&E department.
- Each new member of staff should get an induction package.
- Available staff resources should be allocated appropriately to meet the demands of A&E.
- A good working relationship should be established between all acute specialties in the hospital to facilitate appropriate referral of patients, and the opinion sought by A&E doctors from other services in the hospital should be responded to in an acceptable timeframe.
- All A&E clinical staff should acknowledge the experience of GPs.
- Medical records should be easily accessible on request.
- A&E should have additional resources to provide 24-hour clerical support.