The post you are reporting:
Fun Facts from the BMJ:-
Since 1960, however, the number of doctors per head of population in the UK has risen more than five times faster than the rate of growth of the population as a whole.
The number of doctors per head of population has more than tripled since 1960 when there were 0.85 doctors for every 1000 people. This equates to a cumulative rise of 307% and an average annual increase of around 2.2%.
I'm SURE things must be much better run elsewhere! O hang on. How are things in (for example) Germany?
If you are a medical doctor in Germany, you have zero problems finding a good job. Of course this depends a bit on your specialty but in general, plenty of open positions. In the monthly “Deutsches Ärzteblatt”, you will find a boatload of ads for “doctors wanted”. I know from a really good source (my wife, who is a medical doctor, working at the university hospital in Heidelberg) that plenty of hospitals and practices have given up placing ads as nobody ever applies. Expensive head hunters are now hired for finding suitable, willing candidates.
Many hospitals, especially in more rural areas, are hiring doctors from EU and even non EU countries simply to fill vacant positions. Some of these doctors have zero German language skills and can only be used for certain tasks accordingly. Still, they will be hired. Hospitals have no choice. Someone has to do the job.
Many doctors in hospitals are dealing with a clear overload of work. Extra hours are the rule, not the exception. This leads to stress and also to sickness, which makes the problem even worse as other doctors have to replace the colleague who is on sick leave. More extra hours, more stress, more sickness days. A vicious circle.
Plenty of doctors, who have received free education at German universities, leave Germany and decide to work in countries like Switzerland - better pay and less stress being the main reason for this. This worsens the situation in Germany, plus it is ethically questionable.
If you are bored DO try Googling 'Shortage of Doctors in .....................' and fill in any country of your choice. No-one will ever admit to having 'enough' doctors and the many universal health care systems the world over will continue swallowing up as much money as we will allow them to. It was ever thus.
