Should the UK import surgeons?:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK government should begin a programme of employing teams of surgeons from abroad for part of the week," in order to tackle the country's "chronic shortage" of consultants. This is the view of Frank Field, former minister for welfare reform. "It seems sensible," he says, since many countries have a surplus, including Germany and Italy in certain specialisms, and France in all areas. His letter, published in the Financial Times (June 27), comes at a time of heated debate on the need for more doctors if the national healthcare plan (see Clinica No 919, pp 1-2) is to have any chance of success.