Staff rostering in the operating department.

The smooth running of the operating department is often facilitated by the goodwill of the staff who agree to stay behind when cases overrun, or work through lunch and coffee breaks. Many perioperative staff also cover on-calls and stand-bys, causing disruption to their social and family lives. These demands may make working in the operating department harder for some staff. With reference to current shortages of perioperative staff and staff retention, Judith Tanner and Gloria Bailey discuss some suggestions for being flexible with the off duty rota which may give staff more control and more choices over when they work.