The surgical staffing of the future.

An analysis of the amount of surgical work carried out in the hospitals of the West Midlands Health Region during the year 1975 has been carried out. From this it is calculated that the number of surgeons on permanent contract will have to be increased by between 50 and 100%, that of registrars being reduced by 50% and that of the rest of the junior staff by 15-20%, to enable an equivalent amount of work to be done in the future.