A surgeon in troubled times

Staff doctors were on call every other night and worked very long hours, a situation no longer allowed in U.K. hospitals. Surgeons worked "until the work was done" to care for all the injured and to maintain continuity of care. "There could be 100 injured people in the ER. You couldn’t just walk out at half past five."

In conclusion, Dr. Spence noted that the extended crisis of violence and trauma resulted in a close-knit "band of brothers, and occasionally, sisters" who worked in trying circumstances as colleagues. Many of those colleagues have left surgery or have died relatively young, and Dr. Spence intended his lecture to be a tribute to their service, dedication, and sacrifice in troubled times.

surgerynews@frontlinemedcom.com