Roles and responsibilities of the surgical care team

The surgical care team is composed of a range of professionals including consultants, trainees, nurse practitioners, and physiotherapists, all working together to enhance patient care and support surgeons in training. Well-managed use of the wider team — with its mix of staff and skills — benefits patients, surgeons in training and the whole surgical team. 

Below is a brief description of each role within the surgical care team: 

• Advanced clinical practitioners analyse complex problems across a range of settings, enabling innovative solutions to enhance patient experience and improve outcomes.

• Advanced nurse practitioners work at an advanced level, use complex reasoning, critical thinking, reflection and analysis to inform their assessments, clinical judgements and decisions.

• Consultant surgeons are senior doctors who have overall responsibility for the care of patients in the hospital.

• Consultant anaesthetists supervise the entire anaesthesia team to ensure high standards of patient care and usually specialise in a particular area of anaesthesia 

• Physician associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients and provide clinical support under consultant supervision.

• Physiotherapists work with people to help with a range of physical problems which affect movement using exercise, massage and other techniques. 

• Prescribing pharmacists provide an independent and supplementary medication prescribing service.

• Surgical trainees are doctors in training who are pursuing a career in surgery.

• Surgical first assistants are registered healthcare professionals who provide assistance under the direct supervision of the operating surgeon throughout a procedure, whilst not performing any form of surgical intervention.

• Surgical care practitioners are registered non-medical healthcare professionals who have extended the scope of their practice by completing an accredited training programme.   

Some members of the surgical team are eligible to join RCS England as associate members. Members can access a range of valuable benefits, including access to online library resources, a 10% discount on courses, and more. Find out more and join today.