Knowing who is responsible for each stage of your care is essential to both safety and confidence.
Modern healthcare is delivered by teams, which can improve access and efficiency — but only when roles are clear and oversight is explicit¹. Confusion about responsibility is a recognised cause of dissatisfaction and avoidable error.
You should understand:
- Who assesses and advises you
- Who performs the procedure
- Who manages follow-up and complications
A simple role map you can request
- Assessment: name and role
- Surgery: who performs and who supervises
- Follow-up: who to contact if problems arise
Delegation is acceptable when accompanied by clear supervision and consistent communication. Ambiguity about roles undermines trust and outcomes. Transparency about responsibilities is not administrative detail — it is a core element of safe, patient-centred care².
References
- Vincent C, Amalberti R. Safer healthcare: strategies for the real world. Springer; 2016.
- World Health Organization. WHO surgical safety checklist and implementation manual. WHO; 2009.
