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Letters

Future of intensive care

BMJ 1995; 310 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.310.6990.1335b (Published 20 May 1995) Cite this as: BMJ 1995;310:1335

This article has a correction. Please see:

  1. Ian S Grant
  1. Medical director Western General Hospitals NHS Trust, Edinburgh EH4 2XU

    EDITOR,—The recent headlines concerning the lack of intensive care beds in the United Kingdom reflect a longer term crisis that has afflicted intensive care since the first intensive care units were established around 30 years ago.

    Intensive care units in Britain are still staffed by consultants, many of whom have undergone no systematic training in the specialty, and by resident rotating junior staff, who spend just enough time in the intensive care unit to learn what it is about before moving on. The royal colleges have been talking about training in intensive care for around 10 years now; they have formed one committee after another, written …

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