X'mas and Boxing Day this year were meant to be a blessing for all. As they fell on a Saturday and Sunday respectively, the following Monday and Tuesday were declared as extra holidays. In another words, for the majority lucky ones, it meant 4 consecutive days off.
But unfortunately for me, I was on-call on Monday. I was tasked to look after approx, 200 patients in the hospital, all on my own!! My bleep went of a total of 36 times over a 12 hour-shift. Nurses from a ward would bleep me, very politely informing me that "There're a few tiny jobs for you on Ward 4/6/7". Sick patients to be reviewed, IV fluid & laxatives to be prescribed, the deceased needed to be certified dead etc etc.
I wonder why can't the hospital operate like other emergency services. Have you ever heard a fireman says during a fire, "Hey sorry mate! It's bank hol, and I'm the only one on duty. Can't attend to the fire now". Or when you tried to call for police after a break-in, and he said "Come back tommorrow to make the report, we're short of staff today"
I sincerely tried my best to attend to all patients who needed my help that day. But I must admit: if I had the luxury of time, I could have spend more time with each of them, sorting out their problems.
Surely the management could spare some money to pay the doctors to do overtimes. Or is this another cost-cutting measure by the NHS, at the expense of patients' care?
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1 comment:
Probably a good idea that you haven't posted the name of the hospital. Good luck recovering from the holidaze.
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