A type of CARE EPISODE.

The time a PATIENT spends in the continuous care of one CONSULTANT using HOSPITAL SITE or CARE HOME SITE bed(s) of one HEALTH CARE PROVIDER or, in the case of shared care, in the care of two or more CONSULTANTS. Where care is provided by two or more CONSULTANTS within the same episode, one CONSULTANT will take overriding responsibility for the patient and only one CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) is recorded. Additional CONSULTANTS participating in the care of PATIENT are defined as SHARED CARE CONSULTANTS. A CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) includes those episodes for which a GMP is acting as a CONSULTANT.

A PATIENT going on HOME LEAVE, or LEAVE OF ABSENCE for 28 days or less, or has a current period of ABSENCE WITHOUT LEAVE of 28 days or less, does not interrupt the CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER).

A PATIENT may not have concurrent CONSULTANT EPISODES (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) but can have CONSULTANT OUT-PATIENT EPISODES overlapping with a CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER). A CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) must not overlap with a NURSING EPISODE for the same PATIENT.

Any time spent as a LODGED PATIENT before being admitted to a WARD is included in the first CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER).

A CONSULTANT transfer occurs when the responsibility for a PATIENT transfers from one CONSULTANT (or GMP acting as a CONSULTANT) to another within a HOSPITAL PROVIDER SPELL. In this case one CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) will end and another one begin.

A transfer of responsibility may occur from a CONSULTANT to the PATIENT's own GMP (not acting as CONSULTANT) with the PATIENT still in a WARD or CARE HOME SITE to receive nursing care. In this case the CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) will end and a NURSING EPISODE will begin.

A transfer of responsibility from the PATIENT's own GMP to a CONSULTANT while the PATIENT is in a WARD or CARE HOME SITE for nursing care will end the NURSING EPISODE and begin a CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER).

This class is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	CONSULTANT EPISODES (HOSPITAL PROVIDER)