The covid pandemic has clearly demonstrated the NHS is under resourced and close to collapse with damage limitation measures being put in place. Historically medics have worked longer hours than the general public, taken meal breaks on the run, worked through the night and at weekends. Our country is losing junior doctors to NZ and Australia where working conditions are more humane.
Many vacancies remain unfilled and hospitals are having to resort to expensive agency staff plus agency fees.
Every hospital should have ‚’floaters‚’ on their payroll to fill in for medics off sick, weekends, nights and receiving ongoing training (financed by themselves) etc. This would largely be financed by savings on agency fees.
The covid epidemic has demonstrated there is no slack in the system. Re-training for those returning to work should be more flexible with part time or job share vacancies more readily available. There is little flexibility in the system with many hoops to jump through.
Red tape needs to be cut. We have doctors seeking asylum who are not allowed to work paid or unpaid.
For many years we have been pillaging doctors and nurses from the third world to solve our problems with our health service. This cannot be right? Perhaps we could operate exchange programmes in recompense.
The British public have demonstrated their love and appreciation of the NHS starting with the Thursday doorstep clap right at the start of the pandemic. Surely now is the time to harness this goodwill and train more doctors and nurses. Every year highly qualified students with appropriate work experience fail to get a place in medical school due to a shortage of places and nurses returning to work are unable to fit working hours with family life.
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