With EWTD and new deal pressures how will there be enough 'specialists' to cover their wards, clinics, AND patients triaged from a european-syle ED? Surely now more than ever we have a powerful argument and incentive to expand so that we can optimally work up and sort patients in the ED, and maybe even man 'MET' teams to cover the hospital out-of-ours along with our ICU colleagues.
Cliff
-----Original Message-----
From: Rowley Cottingham [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 18 September 2003 22:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Danny's new pastures
> The speciality will have to address A&E Consultants, only last week I
> have heard of a Consultant in the neighbouring County changing to
> become a GP and it will become a torrent. My generation will just go
> and it will be very quick, plenty of work out there.
I thought this was just a rumour until it was confirmed to me. Confirmed by a very
anxious-sounding young woman from the Modernisation Agency (An Orwellian phrase if ever I
heard one) fearing that we would all go.
But would they notice? Imagine; a nurse at the front door signposting and streaming to
specialities. Calling down the gynaecologist and sending the abdo pains to the SAU. Streaming
the minor injuries to ENPs. Calling for arrest teams and trauma teams. Many of the alleged
reforms have done and continue to do nothing but undermine Emergency Care as a speciality. I
have a hunch (and I first said this at least 4 years ago) is that there is a plan to change to a
European style of polyclinic access to hospitals. Everything that has happened since has
strengthened that view, and the 100% out rule is further cement in the wall. Four months per
SHO in A&E? Well, they can't get enough experience so lets remove them.
We need to think very hard about where emergency medicine needs to go to survive.
Best wishes,
Rowley Cottingham
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