> But what I would say
> is this: with the increasing prevalence of non-resident
> specialists comes an increasing need for A&E staff to be
> resident, at least at middle-grade level.
I'd tend to agree more or less. One thing that always struck me on hospital
at night is that if you are to run a hospital on minimum numbers of resident
staff, then looking at the skills needed it would make sense to concentrate
investment in experienced A and E staff (and in smaller units, possibly in
additional training for such staff to allow more coverage elsewhere in the
hospital where their core skills would provide a good base). As noted
before, I disagree on the issue of "resident". Just as it is the
competencies of the individual rather than their core speciality that
matters; the time it takes them to get to the appropriate place is what
matters, not whether they are allowed to go off site. In practice, short
notice availability probably usually means resident in most hospitals, but
if what we really need is someone available at 10 minutes (or 20 minutes or
30 minutes) notice, it may be better to be specific about that. There are
solutions other than being resident; and resident does not always mean
available.
Matt Dunn
This email has been scanned for viruses by NAI AVD however we are unable to
accept responsibility for any damage caused by the contents.
The opinions expressed in this email represent the views of the sender, not
South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust unless explicitly stated.
If you have received this email in error please notify the sender.
The information contained in this email may be subject to public disclosure
under the NHS Code of Openness or the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Unless the information is legally exempt from disclosure, the
confidentiality of this e-mail and your reply cannot be guaranteed.
|