NHS Surgeon Resigns

For years now, I have been stopped from doing my job in the NHS by the lack of facilities, but in public the politicians (in particular Alan Milburn and John Reid) have blamed the consultants for the waiting lists. This is extremely demotivating and demoralizing.

It seems the Government thinks that if only they could get the consultants in the NHS to work harder, then waiting lists would be a thing of the past.

You may not believe this but I have found in the past ten years or so that the harder I work in the NHS the gloomier managers get because I am spending the limited resources.

The delays in operating theatres are quite frankly scandalous. I have complained about this for years, and yet nothing has been done.

In the end, the taxpayer is paying twice for the operation; once when I am sitting around doing nothing, either because of delays in getting he patient to theatres or because of the lack of beds, and then again when the operation is farmed out to the private sector.

I have no doubt that the service is grossly over-managed now...there has been an almost unbelievable increase in NHS employees who contribute nothing to the treatment of patients...

But if you go onto my ward the nurses are struggling to look after the patients...

I feel that I have been worn down over the past few years, and have finally lost the fight to be allowed to do my job to the best of my ability.

Yours,

Mike Lavelle

General Surgeon