Doctor A&E hours ‘fall below credible minimum’
Monday 18th March 2013, 5:00PM GMT.
DOCTORS working in the Accident and Emergency Department at the PEH now work an ‘average weekly commitment’ of five hours, Health and Social Services has said.
But this still falls below a College of Emergency Medicine recommendation that a ‘credible’ minimum would be not less than one eight-hour shift per week.
The college report, commissioned two years ago, questioned the experience of some GPs who were working in the department.
It revealed that the service model of staffing meant some doctors worked, on average, less than four hours a week in the department.
However, HSSD claimed progress had been made.
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That might be fair enough if you work in a busy city based A&E department but maybe our Island A&E is different.
Maybe there isn’t enough demand to supply the hours needed?
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needless to say, the GP article is less than clear. However, what I think that they are saying is that there are too many doctors doing short or infrequent shifts, rather than a core of doctors doing longer, or more frequent, shifts.
So it is not really about demand, but more about ensuring that the doctors working in A&E have sufficient regular exposure to it.
But you are right that our system needs to be looked at with an understanding of our unique demands, not just applying the principles which work elsewhere.
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At last the truth is out. Most desk-based GPs are no use in an A&E Department, not even in little Guernsey.
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All that glitters isn’t gold…
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