Hi, just curious, do people here feel that more can and should be done to keep doctors/encourage doctors to stay in the public sector? (In terms of pay and working conditions)
Context: I am currently a mo mopexing in IM for last 2 postings, UK grad who just finish ho last year.
Manpower in IM is really bad at present 😞, with some of the mopex mo's posted to my hospital and IM residents quitting, the manpower on the ground is even more stretched. The bosses(I.e consultant) I worked with are all lamenting that more should be done to keep these people in the public system; most agreed that the pay difference (esp during the covid times) is just too big, with locums in CTF reportedly earning 30k+, and it's a no brainer that people (esp the juniors) will leave.
To be fair the consultant I worked with are very supportive (e.g will buy regular drinks and sometimes even food for us out of their own pockets, they are also reasonable in their expectations, they no longer expect us to preclerk or know our pts well before rounds, they understand we are swamped and are happy to just see the pts together, some of the
ACs even step down to do changes, e.g call family/other subspec for referrals etc)