It's been suggested that if bar tenders are
going to be earning £1000 for working New Year's Eve 1999, then Ambulance
Services are going to be hard pushed to recruit volunteer doctors to join them
for the evening and consequentially a higher demand (and dependency) will be
placed on the Voluntary Aid Societies.
Whilst I have the utmost respect for the work
of the VAS, let me play devil's advocate for just one minute. What will be
on offer to the VAS members to persuade them to work for the evening? Even
if the average wage increase for that night was 20 times a person's normal
salary, for the VAS members 20 times nothing is nothing. People say it'll
be the biggest party we've ever known and it'll certainly be a
once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone using this List - so do VAS members
party for the night or dress up for the cold and go out and treat people?
And if they choose to party, how does the statutory Ambulance Service fulfil its
legal obligations to the community?
That's enough! I'm getting dizzy just
thinking about it.
Pete.
Peter J. Davis MSc(Dist),
MIEM, BEng(Hons), GIFireE