The Health service journal
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The government is committed to raise spending on healthcare in the UK up to the European average by 2006. There is debate about the exact target figure, but agreement that the key consideration is how the extra money will be spent. ⋯ To match German levels of staffing, the UK would need an extra 100,000 doctors and 300,000 nurses. There has been little analysis of how the extra expenditure will improve outcomes.
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In a survey of 304 chief executives, three-quarters felt the Shifting the Balance reorganisation would delay the delivery of the NHS plan over the next year. A quarter felt the delay would be severe. 55 per cent expressed negative views about the reorganisation. ⋯ More than half (59 per cent) of chief executives thought their job would change as the result of the reorganisation. A quarter thought they were less likely to be working in the NHS.
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More than half the GPs in the UK have said they will consider resigning from the NHS if the government will not agree improvements in their contracts. GPs have been threatening to resign from public healthcare in the UK for the past 90 years. ⋯ By September 1948, 90 per cent of GPs had signed up with the NHS. GPs' threats to resign need to be seen in the context of history.