Carpe diem

Abstract

In a recent article in The Sunday Telegraph, Dr James LeFanu referred to 'the ascendancy of that managerial and political class whose commitment to making the world a better place has come to blight our lives'. There could not be a better example of this than the effect of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) on those training to be surgeons. The EWTD has devastated the ability to deliver proper standards of surgical training and forced young surgeons to work shifts that are stressful, detested and unprofessional. For trainees to gain the necessary experience and competence, training will have to be extended for so long that becoming a consultant will be a very distant goal. This is all being done under social chapter legislation, supposed to make people's lives better!