Occupational lung disease survey of respiratory physicians in Northern Ireland

Background Respiratory physicians are likely to encounter occupational lung disease (OLD) in their daily practice. Aims To assess the profile of cases being encountered by general respiratory physicians in Northern Ireland (NI) and determine satisfaction with training, confidence in diagnosis and management of OLD. Methods An online survey of all consultant respiratory physicians currently practising in NI. Questions assessed the numbers of new cases seen over the preceding year, case type, satisfaction with specialist registrar training in OLD and degree of confidence in the diagnosis and management of these conditions. Results Of the 40 consultants identified, the response rate was 80% (n = 32) with 94% of respondents (n = 30) indicating they had dealt with patients suspected of having occupation-related respiratory symptoms. The most commonly encountered OLDs were pleural plaques (91% of respondents), occupational asthma (88%), asbestosis (84%), non-asbestosis pulmonary fibrosis (76%), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (67%) and mesothelioma (66%). Just over one third of consultants (36%, n = 10) indicated a lack of confidence in diagnosis and management of OLD with almost half (48%) dissatisfied with OLD training as a registrar and a further 78% (n = 25) indicating they would value additional training in OLD as a consultant. Conclusions The majority of respiratory consultants in NI encountered OLD in their day to day practice and half were dissatisfied with their specialist registrar training in OLD and express a lack of confidence in the diagnosis and management of these conditions. This highlights the need for additional training at both registrar and consultant level

What needs to be done to address staffing shortages in health and social care?

England’s NHS does not have an adequate workforce strategy. Staffing shortages in health and adult social care are limiting the delivery of services. Adult social care, which is more organisationally heterogeneous than the NHS, also has a staffing crisis. There are over 250 000 vacant posts across both sectors.1,2 The two systems are symbiotic, and their staffing issues must be addressed together. As the main gateway for patient access to the rest of the NHS, general practice teams hold responsibility for providing care for patients in the community. General practice is hit by the staffing deficit twice over, soaking up additional demand caused by shortfalls in secondary care and social care while grappling with its own staffing crisis. What is the relationship between staff levels, financial cost, and staff and patient welfare across the NHS and social care, and what are the potential solutions

Entwurf von dynamischen Beobachtern fuer Torsionsschwingungen von Turbosaetzen Zwischenbericht

Available from TIB Hannover: DtF QN1(44,2) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman