[Sundae]

It's one of the many problems we see here.
I was recruited 3 years ago in one of the boom times. No sooner was the ink dry on my contract than there was a hiring freeze and the job got more unpleasant year by year as I took on the work of colleagues who left and weren't replaced..

Most of the staff I talk to feel undervalued, overworked and consequently don't do as good a job as they could (okay, I'm actually lazy, but then I'm a poor example as I'm leaving anyway).

Without adequate support staff, the remaining staff have trouble completing even basic tasks and more time and money is wasted. Example - no-one taking responsibility for ordering stationery supplies, so any meeting or mailout involves roaming round the building begging for stationery. Inadequte Reception staff so random people in the building roped in as substitutes - the official "face" of the PCT then becomes someone seething with resentment trying to get their own work done while providing cover.

I have no doubt that there will be another boom soon - the long term staff have seen it before. Just as wasteful although more work will get done for a while.

Interesting that the answer to the question of overspending on staff is to employ more staff. Experts of course. I dread to think how much of our money has gone into the pockets of experts over the years.