EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion Current Vacancies - Are You Having A Laugh?

Barney, I could hardly believe my ears watching the news today. On the news that the coalition government are to try and refocus education on exams (you know, like they used to be) the shadow education secretary actually stood up and said there was 'a danger schools would be too academic'. Eh, it's a school. That's what it's supposed to be. With attitudes like that it's easy to see why our education system is so poorly regarded these days.

There was a programme on Channel 4 a few years back called That'll Teach Them. They got a few predicted A* students to sit exams as they were two or three decades ago in four subjects. Only one of them passed more than one subject. I think the majority of them didn't pass any exams at all. 'Nuff said!

I could have sworn this thread was about Current Vacancies...

If you wish to go off on a tangent over the state of education in the UK and naughty students behaviour, get your own thread!!!

But in the meantime, back on topic, if you please.

Ey up Sean ... young Jocky's a new 'un on 'ere tha knows!

An' so ee has yet to realise there was (s'posed to be) an etiquette about t'site!

Allowances will be made (where appropriate).

All relevant comments are welcome; all un-welcome comments are irrelevant.

Given time I think that you will attract staff to posts paying lower than appropriate, its a simple law of supply and demand. The more perplexing question is, after nurturing and training them, will they stay?

Good valid point Barney
Age-old scenario, you train em up, and they spread their wings!

Within the North West it is generally recognised that certain Trusts provide benchmark training to their young biomeds. If they wish to progress and a vacancy was available all well and good, but if the opportunity was not available, they will look elsewhere.
At one time, it was a rumour that Jimmy Gavin at the Countess of Chester, trained all the new biomeds, then other local Trust's poached or offered them jobs. (That is a testament to the high regard that Jimbo's training regime was/is held).
Currently NHS Biomed Managers rarely have the freedom to act that way anymore. (But we would all still like Jimbo's staff).

Life being what it is, young talent moves on unless you can offer them progressive employment, that which ticks all the boxes.

Medical Engineering in the NHS will never improve much across the board unless it is looked at, and organised, on a National basis. And why isn't it anyway?

You know (and as I have mentioned more than a few times in the past), a Central Training School, Specialist 3rd Line Workshops, standardised Policies and Procedures, a Centralised Spare Parts Organisation, common terms and conditions, blokes posted to wherever they are needed ... etc., etc.

If a tech wants "promotion", and the path is blocked where *he happens to be, he checks out the vacancies elsewhere, and (if he really wants it - the promotion, that is) he gets on his bike.

* Insert "she" as and if you wish.

The question is whether there will be any supply compared to demand. In a quick search I found that HND tuition fees are about two thirds that of a degree. There is talk of charging £9,000 a year for a degree so your looking at about £12,000 in total for a HND.

I imaging student numbers are going to drop quite a bit.

Not if the employers pay.

You can’t run the NHS along the lines of the Armed Forces. Blokes posted to wherever they are needed ... indeed

And to be frank, I dont think that there is too much wrong with Medical Engineering per se in the NHS.

Just recruitment and retention, and if my eyesight serves me right when scanning the papers, the same problems still occur in the Mob, so your approach would go down like a lead balloon.

Interesting though, The National Service Health Service is recruiting now, Your Hospital needs You!