Thirty years ago, when I learned that time and motion studies had been used to devise the work rota in the casualty department where I worked, it seemed logical and unthreatening. John Harris’s piece (They call it fun, but the digital giants are turning workers into robots, 21 January) reminded me that when computers in the out-of-hours service started to monitor general practitioners’ activity continuously in 2007 it felt very Big Brotherish. The times patients waited were colour-coded, spurring us on to stop them turning red, and our scores were fed back each month, with pats on the back or threats of sanctions. The monitoring coincided with a reduction in staffing levels.
At much the same time, GPs’ referrals to hospital started being scrutinised (and, indeed, triaged) by a Kafkaesque system of so-called healthcare professionals. An attendance certificate omitted from a lengthy online annual appraisal form could generate a warning. Small wonder that GP posts fail to attract applicants and that early retirement appeals to so many.
Dr Stuart Handysides
Retired GP, associate editor, ProMED-mail
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Big Brother’s eye on the health service | Letters
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