In uncertain times, it’s comforting to look backwards.
From: Kirsty Jordan
Sent: Friday, 6 January 2017 2:03 PM
To: Wellington Anaesthesia All Staff
Subject: Grumpy New Year
Hi All,
So, I was the surprise stand in DA yesterday, after the allocated DA was needed elsewhere for her subspecialty skills (I have subspecialty skills too, you know! – if you ever need emergency scheduling done, I’m your person )(in hours only, preferably). All well and good until the first elective lists started to finish around 2:30. The plan in the fishbowl was to pop in a brief acute into each theatre, however we encountered considerable consumer resistance, with variable amounts of poor grace detected from different members of staff (with anaesthesia not the worse culprits, I hasten to add). No one actually refused, the cases were sent for and done and dusted by 4pm. I do feel sympathy, I know what it’s like to think you’re going to get away on time and you end up staying late, doing some “quick” acute case. Especially as we all get overruns that wear us down. However, Oliver (the theatre acute coordinator) and I had just endured a 20 minute rant from a quite distressed surgical reg, who in his turn had been abused by patients and their families for being made to wait for over 24 hours, starving, for their acute operations. I’m not sure where the happy medium lies in this situation. I would point out, though, that 90 percent of the time you’ll get to go home before the DA. And there we go – so much for the season of goodwill to all man. I’m a bit grumpy today because I’ve just realized that far from managing to avoid scheduling the strike week this time round – I had to do it last time – I still have to do it because even though it’s a Chris week, he is unfortunately off on holiday next week so it’s fallen on my lap again. Oh well: I have given myself next Tuesday as all day OPD to deal with the ramifications and inevitable management dirty dancing which will likely see a number of lists end up reinstated depending on how loudly the surgeons complain. Yay!
Theatres almost back up to full strength this week – Kene is back on line – but we are still at least two theatres down each day, which is lucky as we still have many SMOs away – although hardly any RMOs on leave (why is that? Something to do with school holiday constraints?)
Wednesday
Douglas is DA. I guess I never got that email you sent, Douglas, saying never, ever make me DA again…
Friday
I see I have put Marissa all by herself for her first day out at Kene. Everyone out there is lovely; you will have an Estiva anaesthetic machine; and no horrid person is going to make you do an acute if you finish early. Also, Phil and Adam are doubled up in dental for the morning, which is an overload of talent in anyone’s book, so I’m sure they’ll look after you.
Of course, the latter half of the week may change as the strike approaches, so keep an eye out for updates.
Happy New Year to you all,
Kirsty.