Cross cover for physicians: an additional burden.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the extra burden placed on consultant physicians when providing cross cover for colleagues who are absent on annual or study leave.


METHODS
A questionnaire was sent to 455 consultant physicians with an interest in gastroenterology, practising in the UK in October 1996.


RESULTS
The response rate was 77%, with 350 completed forms returned. Ninety percent of respondents participate in the acute intake; they provide 85% of cross cover for their colleagues. Only 2% of this burden is carried by the appointment of locums.


CONCLUSIONS
Provision of satisfactory cover for inpatients under the care of absent colleagues can place serious demands on consultants at a time when their specialty commitments are also high. Future manpower planning must take these added burdens into consideration.
Knight-Davis
D K
DK
Gastroenterology Unit, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport.
Fouweather
M G
MG
Srivastava
E D
ED
Allison
M C
MC
D000041:Absenteeism; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006693:Holidays; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015274:Interdepartmental Relations; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000592:standards*