Jobs4Medical.co.uk has seen a huge leap in demand for doctors in both locum and permanent posts, now making up almost 50% of their database. The dedicated section for Doctors receives over 88,000 page views per month. The new European Working Time Directive, introduced in August, prevents around 60,000 trainee doctors based in the UK from working more than 48 hours a week. This has resulted in a number of hospitals looking to fill the gap that the new Working Time Directive has created in their workforces. So no more working 100 hour weeks, and plenty to go round for all. Well done Europe – I look forward to my next tax bill.

Who is the country’s biggest employer? Why, it’s the good old NHS and the numbers wanting to get paid for wearing a nurse’s uniform are growing as jobseekers retreat to the safety of the public sector. Good news for them then that a recent staff survey at the NHS has found job satisfaction levels are on the increase, with fewer staff leaving (though that may be to do with the economy in general) and nine out of ten staff feeling that their job makes a difference – the best ever results. One key area shows no sign of improvement, with sadly 12% of staff reporting violence towards them from patients. Yeah, sorry about that.

The Office of Fair Trading warned yesterday that new drug distribution deals could leave the NHS facing a huge rise in its £6billion annual drug bill. Exclusive tie-ups between manufacturers and wholesalers — such as a recent one between Viagra maker Pfizer and distributor Unichem — could cost the NHS “hundreds of millions”. The OFT said the Government should change its pricing agreement with drug companies to prevent NHS costs soaring. Read original article