HP070 - CONSULTANT EPISODES (HOSPITAL PROVIDER)

1. HP070 - HP140 show the classes relevant to PATIENTS using a hospital bed. Additional information relevant to maternity PATIENTS is contained in HP150. HP070 is particularly concerned with CONSULTANT EPISODES (HOSPITAL PROVIDER).

2. A HOSPITAL PROVIDER SPELL is a continuous stay of a PATIENT using a hospital bed under the care of a HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. A HOSPITAL PROVIDER SPELL will consist of one or more CONSULTANT EPISODES (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) and/or one or more NURSING EPISODES.

3. A CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) is a period of time for which a CONSULTANT is responsible for the care of a PATIENT who is using a hospital bed or, in some circumstances, is in a NURSING HOME (deleted) (see HP110). Care of a patient during a CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) can sometimes be shared between two or more CONSULTANTS. In this case each additional CONSULTANT will be a SHARED CARE CONSULTANT. A PATIENT has only one CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) at a time. Each CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) will relate to one MAIN SPECIALTY via the CONSULTANT, and may also have a TREATMENT FUNCTION associated with it. A CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER) may have a LOCAL SUB-SPECIALTY defined for it. Where responsibility is shared, the MAIN SPECIALTY of the SHARED CARE CONSULTANTS is also required.