Report finds gaps in patient transfers can leave responsibility unclear

Nicosia, Cyprus. Gaps in how patients are referred and transferred between medical facilities can leave them without anyone clearly responsible for their care, according to a Patient Advocate’s Office report published on Tuesday.

Most scenarios reveal risks to patients’ rights

The report examined 23 typical referral and transfer scenarios. It found that the current framework allows patients’ rights to be violated in 12 cases. In another six, the outcome depends on whether someone correctly carries out a single step. Only five operate as provided for by law.

Responsibility during transfers remains unclear

The central gap is who is responsible for a patient until a transfer is complete. The law requires every medical institution approached by a patient to either admit them or arrange their transfer and admission to an appropriate facility. It does not define clearly enough when that process is complete or who remains responsible in the meantime.

“A phone call is not an assumption of responsibility and a recommendation to ‘go elsewhere’ is not a referral,” Patient Advocate Marios Charalambides said. “When providers disagree, the patient should already be receiving care, not waiting for the disagreement to be resolved.”

The report considered transfers of hospitalised patients, arrivals at accident and emergency departments, disagreements between medical facilities and the role of the treating doctor. In scenarios that operate as the law provides, three elements are present: written documentation, confirmed acceptance by the receiving facility and a clearly designated person responsible.