Sir – I was disappointed that your leader last week expressed doubt about the classification of laboratory technicians as key workers. This may reflect an ignorance of the integrated nature of hospital care.
Lab technicians are quite as essential as nurses, indeed the high level of automation means that there are relatively few technicians, who are highly productive. The recruitment of graduates at sub-£20,000 starting salaries is difficult especially in such a high cost area as Oxford.
The traffic problems around our large teaching hospitals compound the difficulties of shift and on-call obligations of such staff. Lab technicians are also relevant to the Health Secretary’s ambition to seven day-a-week working, as are nurses. More will have to be recruited and funded.
Without extra resources we will have weekend-style cover seven days a week. The Government perceives the consultants as a soft target due to their high pay. We should not be distracted from the fact that each consultant working on a weekend needs the support of many nurses and lab technicians. Without doubt lab technicians are key workers.
Kingsley Micklem
Oxford
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