title: How many microbiology consultants are needed?
abstract: It is difficult to measure medical staff workload and medical staff requirements in microbiology departments. A review of 14 job descriptions for consultant microbiologists showed that the number of hospital beds and the number of specimens are more reliable workload indices than the population figure. Ratios between beds or specimens and medical staff numbers may help to identify understaffed or overstaffed microbiology departments.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, St Mary's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Bignardi
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D008829:Microbiology; D014852:Wales; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload