Chain of command

Hail,

A brief insight into how it works our ICU. Sarah drove me in early in the morning. Most days I try to get there by seven o'clock, but today I particularly want to get in early - I have been told DrSanjeev is off sick. Dr Sanjeev, tall, cultured, incandescently bright - he whose name means, impressively, "the one who brings the dead back to life", is my intern. He is an essential part of the whole chain of command thing we've got going in the ICU, from the top (the consultant, Dr Black) down through the registrar (me) to said Dr Sanjeev.

The usual procedure in the ICU is Dr Black decides something needs to be done and tells me and I tell Dr Sanjeev. Dr Sanjeev goes off and does it. Occasionally Dr Sanjeev has a problem or discovers something of note about a patient and he tells me. I tell Dr Black and Dr Black goes off and solves it.

I worked out this morning that without Dr Black we don't know what to do. Without Dr Sanjeev, on the other hand, we don't get anything done.

Without me, I suspect, things go that little bit faster.

Anyway. A post of more substance tomorrow, or later today if Mr Grote doesn't turn up.

Thanks for listening, John