By the way . . . We need more anaesthetists NOW

AS THE son of an anaesthetist, the brother of an anaesthetist and the father of an anaesthetist, I have more than a passing interest in the specialism.

In terms of numbers, anaesthetists are the single greatest hospital specialty in the NHS, with responsibility for surgery anaesthesia (ensuring a patient’s safety, before, during and after an operation), critical care in intensive care units, as well as pain medicine and, often, maternity pain relief.

Clearly we need anaesthetists, so it was alarming to hear the recent warnings from the Royal College of Anaesthetists that we don’t have enough consultants, with demand for their services outstripping supply. The problem is particularly acute in A&E — where anaesthetists are vital for both resuscitation and the care of very sick or injured patients.

The implications of the shortage in this specialty are worrying for the safety and welfare of patients — and the problem is only likely to get worse as the workforce is ageing.

Health Education England recently revealed the recruitment rates for anaesthetics dropped from 100 per cent to 94 per cent in the past year.

It seems that the shortage is partly down to the reluctance of junior doctors to sign up for training programmes in many specialties, due to the uncertainties surrounding the chaos over the new contract.

Many are opting to go abroad for a time or work as locums instead. I suspect the drop in numbers is also due to the Government reducing training places to try to force trainees into general practice, though there is no hard data on this.

Once again, we have to ask whether the masters of the NHS have a grip on what those of us at the coal face, those of us who care for patients on a day-to-day basis have been saying.

Already worried about events in my specialty, I add my support to the clamour from the Royal College of Anaesthetists which time and again has repeated its concerns about the workforce shortage.

Mr Hunt, please listen to its warnings.