Cliff Reid wrote:
> John, please come back to England and become President of the Royal College
> of Emergency Medicine!
>
> How can we expand the specialty when specialist registrar numbers are to be
> cut by more than two thirds?
This demonstrates a common misconception.
It is entirely possible to expand Consultant numbers while cutting SpR numbers.
Currently the Specialty is expanding at about 11% per annum.
This will allow us to reach the Consultant numbers set out in the Way Ahead 1998
by the time current Year 1 SpRs have CCSTs.
The questions the secialty must address are -
How confident are we that all AEDs will establish at least that number of
Consultant posts within 5 years? Can we PROVE it?
Does the Specialty have a desire to expand Consultant numbers significantly
beyond this? If so in order to do what? How will Consultants work in departments
with 10 Consultants? Does the NHS want the type of service we envisage providing
with our 10 Consultant Departments?
Despite many rumours to the contrary SWAG has not decreed that SpR numbers will
be cut by 2/3. They have decreed that for a period - probably about 9 months -
there will be freeze on recruitment to the SpR grade in A&E in order for the
Specialty to gather evidence (not opinion) on likely future rates of Consultant
expansion for the next five years AND beyond. Also for the NHS to respond to the
views of the Specialty.
If SWAG only listened to those who say "you must not cut our SpR numbers" they
would be doing a great disservice to many of our younger colleagues. We must not
risk getting into an O&G scenario. If it is a choice between an undersupply of
A&E Consultants or unemployment of qualified A&E Specialists I would choose the
undersupply option (even though that means I will be working harder as a
COnsultant).
Even if the average AED in the UK was to have 10 Consultants in 10 years time we
probably need to reduce SpR numbers dramatically starting now.
--
Andrew
_______________________________________________________
Andrew Hobart FRCS FFAEM
Birmingham
(and a member of SWAG for 3 years)
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