What is in a name--patients' view of the involvement of 'care practitioners' in their operations.

Background: There has been a plethora of new job titles emerging in the NHS. While the term 'nurse practitioner' was fairly well received, and offers a pretty clear indication of the background of the person working, other new titles can be misleading. Since 2003, when the NHS Modernisation Agency proposed its 'Changing Workforce Programme', nurses and other allied health professionals were recruited and trained to perform 'simple operations'. The surgical care practitioner is being developed along with other practitioners.

Objective: To find out whether patients are able to identify healthcare professionals by their title and what do patients think about a non-medically qualified person carrying out their operations.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of ENT patients using a questionnaire.

Main Findings: Titles similar to those of medically qualified professionals--anaesthetic practitioner, consultant nurse and surgical care practitioners--can lead patients to think that they are doctors. Fifty-three per cent of the respondents agreed that not all hospital visits need to be attended by a doctor, but if an operation is needed, 92% of respondents thought it should be carried out by someone who is medically trained. Ninety-four per cent stated that they should be informed if this is not the case. Seventy-nine per cent of the respondents stated that they would rather wait longer to be operated on by a doctor than being operated on earlier by someone who is not medically qualified but trained to perform the operation only. This result is significant, p<0.001).

Conclusion: Patients do find the different titles confusing, with many preferring a more transparent approach in knowing who their surgeon is. The majority would prefer to wait longer for their operation if this means it is carried out by a doctor.