A medical workforce planning. Comparing reality with aspirations

The debate on reorganisation of hospital services is fertile ground for expert opinion. The Joint Consultants Committee (JCC) have produced the most recent view on the ideal acute hospital size and consultant staffing; however, their ideal is far removed from reality. A survey of trusts across the West Midlands found that many are falling short of the recommendations, such as meeting a one-in-five consultant on-call rota for the major admitting specialties and providing adequate cover in the core sub-specialties of general medicine and general surgery. While the JCC recommendations give a welcome direction and focus to workforce planning, reaching some of these will require a large financial investment and an increase in the number of trainees. Prioritising the recommendations may help to facilitate implementation by health-care providers.