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DJB

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:43:46 +0100
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Who wants to be a Homeopath?
To: [log in to unmask]

HI All

One small but important point: I'm pretty sure that the 'Doctor' who gets this job as a homeopath won't be paid £68,000 a year for working 8 hours a week!

Someone has, I'm sure, creatively misunderstood the salary scale offered in the advert and missed off the vital words 'pro rata'. So the job would pay £68k if you did it full time (which is 37.5 hours per week in the NHS). The actual cash pay for this job will be about £14.5k ie 8/37.5 of the full time whack. That's just shy of £35 an hour, gross. Not bad for spouting dangerous mumbo jumbo, but hardly comparable with the ridiculous rewards for such Socially Useless activities as Merchant Banking.

I suspect that the misunderstanding has happened in the offices of the Daily Express, as this organ is never one to let the facts get in the way of a good story, especially one which panders to its editorial prejudices.

On the other hand it is at least possible that the NHS managed to make a mess of the recruitment advert. It wouldn't be the first time...

One of the odd things about the NHS (as well as their funding of homeopathy) is the number of these very part-time contracts that they offer. My wife, who works as an NHS Personnel Manager spends a ludicrous amount of her time trying to get to the bottom of these arrangements.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Richard.

PS I particularly like the bit in Dean's application about providing as little information as possible, on the grounds that this makes it more potent!

Richard Ellam

L M Interactive

Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff

[log in to unmask]

On 16 Aug 2010, at 16:18, Dean Burnett wrote:

Hi all

Perhaps you're aware of the recent controversy surrounding the story of how NHS Tayside is laying off 500 staff but still advertising for a £68,000 p.a. Homeopath to work 8 hours a week?

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/192956/NHS-alternative-therapy-blast/

Since then, science blogger David Briggs has sparked the idea of professional scientists applying for the job as a form of casual protest. Unable to resist a passing bandwagon, I applied and posted part of my application on line.

http://sciencedigestive.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-application-for-job-as-homeopath.html

I think I may have broken the blogosphere, judging by the traffic I'm getting. So if anyone else wants to join the party, please do so. Some have suggested, and I hope it is the case, that this is the work of someone inside the trust trying to draw attention to the scandalous policies the NHS allows. £68,000 for 8 hours a week?

Applying as a scientist seems to be a good response either way.

DJB
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