British hospital bosses to limit doctors’ hours -- by hiring more bureaucrats!

This must be a high-point of socialist stupidity. They are hiring more bureaucrats in order to reduce the hours that doctors work. As if the person making up the rosters at the moment cannot simply make them up differently! It is more doctors, not more bureaucrats that are needed. So how about spending the money instead on hiring more doctors?


The NHS is appointing a new layer of managers to ensure that doctors do not work too hard. Hospitals say the bureaucrats are needed to ensure compliance with European legislation which says that, from August next year, no doctors will be allowed to work more than 48 hours a week. At the moment, junior doctors can work up to 56 hours.

Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Trust appointed a “working time directive project manager” in 2006-7. Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust is advertising for one at a salary of up to 44,527 pounds. A spokeswoman said the purpose was to “redesign roles and rotas in preparation for compliance next year”.

Last week the European parliament voted to end Britain’s opt-out. Unless a compromise is reached in the European Union’s council of ministers, this will mean doctors cannot work longer hours even if they want to. The Royal College of Surgeons has issued a warning that the NHS will not be able to cope when hours are cut next year.

Source

Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS Also, don't forget your daily roundup of pro-environment but anti-Greenie news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH . Email me (John Ray) here