In message 
<[log in to unmask]>, 
Martin Goldman <[log in to unmask]> writes

>I read it on bbc news website.
>Can't give you the exact reference, but there have been several
>emollient interviews on radio to that effect.

But did the interviewees know what they were talking about?
Who briefed them?
Apparently - from what I heard yesterday - it is unlikely that any 
patient will actually die because of this mess: which must be *very* 
reassuring!

Slightly different aspect: if, as a junior doctor, you find out your 
placement with less than - say - 2 weeks notice, how easy is it to find 
suitable accommodation and move before the job starts?

MaryH
PS I believe that hospital accommodation has mostly been converted into 
offices...

>
>Dr Martin Goldman
>Senior Medical Advisor
>Forest Laboratories UK Ltd
>tel +44 (0)1322 550550
>direct line +44 (0)1322 429355
>fax +44 (0)1322 555469
>www.forestlabs.com
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mary Hawking
>Sent: 31 July 2007 21:02
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: 'Non-story' in the Mail
>
>In message
><[log in to unmask]>,
>Martin Goldman <[log in to unmask]> writes
>
>>The thing is that in previous years, vacancies had been filled, and new
>>doctors knew well in advance where they were going.
>>Under the new system, there are many vacancies unfilled (not through
>>lack of applicants) and some juniors have to change their lives at a
>few
>>days notice.
>>The official response is that locums will be employed to ensure no
>>hazard to continuity of patient care.
>
>Do you have a source for this?
>How many suitable locums (in junior doctor grades) are there, and how
>easy are they to locate and employ at very short notice?
>
>>
>>This is a part of a grand plan to demonstrate that doctors and their
>>careers are not needed by the health service, and the health service is
>>doing them a favour by employing them when cheaper alternatives would
>do
>
>Bit like the problems in General Practice.
>The "new contracts" (should we start numbering them?) in 1966 and 2003
>were driven by the same thing - a situation where the previous funding
>situations were unable to deliver the government agenda. In 1966, this
>introduced funding for premises and staff (yes, truly, there had been
>*no* funding for these before then since the NHS started in 1948..) and
>in 2003, crucially, it abolished the Red Book - where the total funding
>for general practice depended on the number of GP principals - and
>payments for "over performance" were clawed back the following year....
>An ideal situation for the Treasury - no possibility of any long-term
>adverse effects on public expenditure - but disastrous as far as funding
>
>general practice and recruiting new partners went: losing a partner
>drastically decreased income while increasing expenses and workload: no
>wonder new GPs saw the advantages of becoming locums: limited hours, no
>additional responsibilities and no need to cover partners in times of
>crisis.
>
>Many years ago, one of the papers - I think the Guardian - commissioned
>a legal report on what, for a Government, constituted "the foreseeable
>future": the opinion was "three years or until the next general election
>
>- whichever is the sooner".
>
>I'd suggest that, as far as the NHS goes, it should have been "until the
>
>appointment of the next Secretary of State for Health".
>
>*Even* this government - and opposition - proclaim their belief in
>education and training.
>Do their actions suggest that this commitment does not include life long
>
>professional development?  Or should we all be happy to accept that , as
>
>there are no educational or experience requirements for becoming a
>politician - or even Prime Minister - apart from an ability to
>please/manipulate the party machine - it is equally acceptable that our
>future specialists - in General Practice as well as other specialities
>should, by political design, be equally unqualified?
>
>I would prefer the mechanic who treats my car to have had the training
>and qualifications to lead me to believe he/she is capable of doing so.
>The same applies to doctors.
>
>MaryH
>>
>>Dr Martin Goldman
>>Senior Medical Advisor
>>Forest Laboratories UK Ltd
>>tel +44 (0)1322 550550
>>direct line +44 (0)1322 429355
>>fax +44 (0)1322 555469
>>www.forestlabs.com
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Russell Brown
>>Sent: 31 July 2007 09:27
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: 'Non-story' in the Mail
>>
>>(Slightly OT)
>>
>>Do you know, I think that's the first time I've seen Adrain swear...
>>
>>He's not wrong though.
>>On 31/07/07, Adrian Midgley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>Paul Bromley wrote:
>>> I see that the Mail has headlines about the junior doctor changeover
>>> tomorrow. Don't they realise that this has always been goin on?
>>>
>>>
>>It is much more fucked up than usual this year.
>>
>>--
>>A
>>
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-- 
Mary Hawking