Mary Hawking wrote:
>
> Are we supposed to sympathise with the someone else?
> My practice employs locums - and we do expect responsibly within
> contractual job roles...
OK OK, just to set the record straight - no, I don't just bugger off
because it's nice out! However, yesterday there were no appts booked by
the morning, there were still slots free with the other docs in the pm
so yes, I buggered off early. [Bear in mind that not seeing patients
=not earning money, as I am paid 60% of what I bring in to the practice.]
The bit I like about the lack of 'responsibility' [after 14 years of
being 'it', 7 years of that 24/7 responsibility clinically] is the fact
that if the roof springs a leak at 4.55pm I can still go home at 5 pm -
that's where the other 40% of my income goes!

There are pluses and minuses of course, as in everything.

I miss the knowledge that my clinical record is virtually complete and
reliable. Here, if I have not seen someone for 12 months, it may just be
because they've chosen to see the cheaper doctor nearer their house, and
a lot may have happened that I know nothing about, so must remember to
keep asking.
I miss the communication from specialists - here, although it is the
easiest thing to speak to a consultant on the phone at any time other
than when they are in theatre, it is often a bastard trying to get a
letter back, especially if they are psychs.
And of course I miss my daughter, who feels she's 'too young to come to
Australia' [slaps forehead in disbelief] but with Skype the world is a
much smaller place. [We met recently in Vietnam, which was half-wayish,
so it's a nice excuse for good holidays too]

I don't miss not being paid to do services that I effectively did out of
my own pocket, such as minor surgery. I know there are DESs and LESs and
other similar acronyms now, but still...

And I do lurrrve the sunshine, the warmth, the friendly attitude
[totally opposite experience to Jen and Chris here]. I love watching the
families enjoying the sea-front and the [council-provided _free_ ]
barbecues and the kids playing, and I sometimes wish I'd come here 20
years ago.

I don't miss the Christmas commercialism and am saddened and mystified
why they should continue with archetypal Northern hemisphere
superstitions here [fake snow on Rudolph's back - I mean, FFS!!!]

I like the heartsinks, even, as I know they are having to pay me to
come and whinge! I love the food and the wine. I love living in a flat
[sorry, unit] when I have always been passionate about gardening [my
'orchard' now consists of a lemon and a lime tree in tubs on the balcony].
I love ordering a CT abdo and pelvis and getting it back a few days
later, or a ultrasound-guided injection done the next week etc etc [ bit
I have to say that the Public Hospital system is about the same as the
Nash in the 1980s, and the proportion of patients with medical insurance
is about the same as it was in rural Essex- ie not high]
So I'm not trying to say that my way is better - to each, his or her own
as time of life dictates, but it is better for me. Also, I'm sorry to
say, it seems a lot better than it was for Jen and Chris.

--

Cheerio,

Graham