18 Feb 2026

Nurses match doctors in delivering hospital care

A group of researchers from Ireland, United Kingdom, and Australia evaluated nurse-doctor substitution in inpatient units and outpatient clinics, analyzing 82 randomized studies involving over 28,000 patients across 20 countries. The review found little to no difference between nurse-led and doctor-led care for critical outcomes, including mortality, quality of life, self-efficacy, and patient safety events.

Studies included advanced nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and registered nurses substituting for junior or senior doctors across specialties such as cardiology, diabetes, cancer, obstetrics/gynaecology, and rheumatology.

While most clinical outcomes showed no difference between groups, nurses may achieve better outcomes in some areas, including diabetes control, cancer follow-up, and dermatology. Doctor-led care performed slightly better in a small number of sexual health and medical abortion follow-up services.

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