This survey investigates the attitudes of medical and nursing staff towards the daily otolaryngology ward rounds in a teaching hospital.

Initial, open-ended questionnaires generated themes from which a structured questionnaire was constructed. Respondents indicated on a Likert scale the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements concerning their attitudes towards the ward round.

Thirty-five members of staff were surveyed. The overall response rate was 74.3 per cent (n = 26). The majority of staff agreed that the ward round was a constructive use of their time and served to promote team spirit. It allowed for adequate communication between medical and nursing staff but there was uncertainty about the provision of adequate patient communication. The nursing staff agreed that the ward round provided a valuable learning experience. There was uncertainty about this among the medical staff. There was agreement in both groups that patients find the ward round to be reassuring. A significant majority of staff expressed concerns over maintenance of patient confidentiality.

These findings could be used to inform changes in the departmental ward round structure. Specific attention should be directed to discussing sensitive issues in a more private setting and maximizing educational opportunities for junior medical staff.