From Dr P. J. Spendley, MRPharmS
SIR,—It was interesting, although not surprising, to hear about the high turnover of pharmacists being experienced by Oxfordshire health authority (PJ, January 29, p170), this turnover being driven at least in part by better conditions and terms of employment offered by the community sector.
It may be relevant to notice that, as well as the pressures of mortgages, transport and general living expenses (fuel, food and communications), "new" graduates have the additional millstone of tuition fees and student loans to cope with, all of which have to be paid from whatever remains after taxation (direct and indirect).
In addition, our profession is not well regarded by the community at large; also instances of verbal and physical abuse are increasing (along with the increase in prescription tax). The hospital sector used to have the advantage of a more (technically) challenging (and therefore interesting) environment, but with increasing "rationalisation" many of the interesting aspects are fast disappearing, so even this slight "carrot" is fast being nibbled away.
The greatest problem faced by all authorities is that of salary - and this is not limited to pharmacy, with the majority of other "less visible" hospital workers being in the same boat. (If you think we're badly off, just ask your hospital works department!). Recent revelations in the press of £2m bonuses being paid to city traders serves to underline the gulf between the favoured "professions" (including the majority of the sports and entertainment worlds), and the so-called "essential" services (health care and infrastructure), where there is neither cash for salaries nor for desperately needed service improvements.
There must be a solution: possibly greater taxation (although we are assured that the Treasury is awash with cash at the moment). It would be interesting to view the fate of any government which chose this avenue, since I suspect that its chances of re-election would be severely dented. An alternative possibility (which might not impact the taxation prospects) would be to impose, say, a mandatory period of hospital "internship" upon all new pharmacy graduates (and I am sure they would love that, too!).
Without some decisive action, the staffing problem will become slowly, but surely worse, with even the determined - some of us really still believe in the service - deciding to cut our losses and leave, to better hours, no on-call, and a respectable salary, with the likelihood of a bonus if we work hard enough, rather than demands for more "efficiency savings".
Phillip Spendley
Hayling Island, Hampshire