The provision of junior anaesthetic staff for the intensive care unit of a district general hospital: a workable solution?

The problems of staffing an ICU in a District General Hospital at junior level are discussed. The needs of the Unit, the junior staff and the Anaesthetic Department and possible ways of reconciling these are outlined. A system of providing cover using pairs of junior anaesthetists is described in detail. This has been successfully in operation for 18 months and its merits are discussed.