Letters
Specialist provision is inadequate
EDITOR,--R M Ellis clearly outlines the practical implications1 of the recommendations of the report on back pain by the Clinical Standards Advisory Group.2 If, however, a revolution is to be brought about in the early management of back pain then a radical change in current practice will be required. Appropriate and timely interventions allowing rapid referral to specifically designated back pain clinics after six weeks of continuing symptoms will require special funding and specific planning for staffing.Specialist provision in Britain is already inadequate. A recent survey found that the average wait for a new outpatient orthopaedic appointment was 24 weeks,3 and it has been calculated that the Calman report's recommendations for a consultant led service would necessitate a doubling of the current number of surgeons to 2000 simply to maintain the status quo.
A similar picture emerges for rheumatologists, with fewer than 300 full time equivalent consultants in Britain,
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- R M Ellis
BMJ 1995 310: 1220.[Extract] [Full Text]
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