Andy Lowes

Father to Jackson and Florie. Husband to Tessa. Geordie Anaesthetist/intensive care doctor at Gateshead QEH. Staff governor. Rubbish at running long distances

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@AlexPanton1 @TheBMA Costs the trusts money remunerating senior clinicians covering anti social hours

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@hlnewey @TheBMA Thanks Hannah 😂. Your bio says ‘below average musician’. Consider a bigger violin as imagine would be easier to play?

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@AlexPanton1 @TheBMA Didn’t happen either over the latest strikes at my hospital (can only speak for my own). Hospitals are now more adaptable at preventing cancellation. Some clinics will suffer tbf. Costs the hospital in terms of remuneration of senior staff who can also end up knackered.

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@AlexPanton1 @TheBMA Patients will be fine in my experience of the strikes (critical care unit in a district general hospital) as will have 24hr senior clinician cover from individuals like myself

[Alan Shearer @alanshearer]

I know I’m pissed but ……. Liverpool are a great club and will win the league and have been brilliant this season but the Geordies absolutely smashed them today and deserved it…. 🖤🤍

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@EnglandRugby Kicking strategy again makes no sense. England box kick with no chase and give them back the ball every time. Their main threat is their strike runners. When they box kick, they’re dropping it on Marcus and Sleightholme who are both under 6ft. Sensible. So frustrating to watch…

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@bbclaurak Yet again several thousands words which doesn’t really say anything at all other than give an obvious commentary. Why didn’t the Beeb do the necessary investigative journalism and hold the Tories to account? Starmer might have had less ammo and the country would be better for it

[No Context Brits @NoContextBrits]

Spot the Englishman.

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@RCEMpresident It’s everywhere and I applaud for you speaking truth to power and a largely apathetic media (C4 notable exception).There’s too many skeletons both literal and metaphorical to hide now from the general public.

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@BBCSport No, great fight but him spouting ‘they only voted for him because his country is at war’ nonsense at the end was pretty shameful

[Tim Lane 💙 @MrTimLane]

Behind-scenes NHS problems leave new doctors without jobs - BBC News … but plenty it would seem for PA’s at much higher rates of pay. This is an orchestrated effort to develop a two-tier system. https://t.co/PX58lVeUIM

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@ecomEddie A ridiculous parable. Guy tries to prove the American dream is achievable for everyone then steadily gets ground down by ‘the system’ and his own/family health issues. think about all those homeless who don’t have business acumen but are seen as ‘failures’ for ‘not trying’ anyway

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@BBCNews Just the tip of the iceberg in regards to the horrific lack of safety infrastructure within private hospitals and reliance on a collapsing NHS to catch those who develop major complications. Looked after several such pts in an NHS ICU (who lived). Does SPIRE et al pay NHS bill?

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

I just signed the petition calling on political parties to back an urgent poverty relief fund to help the millions of families being plunged into poverty across the UK right now. Can you add your name? https://t.co/OUfZkwXcZf

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@VirtueOfNothing @Resuspiece Can’t argue we need to build a lot more capacity within the specialty. However I would imagine most doctors ‘endure’ resident nights (particularly as we get older) with the promise that they’ll do less as a consultant when they’ve finished training. So who’s going to do them?

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@VirtueOfNothing @Resuspiece Other DGH ICUs in north east England similar position. Not limited to DGH though. Cardiothoracic ICU at JCUH Middlesbrough would have closed without ACCPs due to consultant burnout. They’re very open about this

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@VirtueOfNothing @Resuspiece Lots of trainees through our ICU but mainly foundation doctors, IMTs, CT1 anaesthetists, ACCS trainees. A few anaesthetic/ICM registrars who of course can intubate but not enough to cover a rota. Therefore reliant on anaesthetic reg cover or me (a consultant) coming in

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@Resuspiece @VirtueOfNothing And before you say ‘well just train more doctors to cover the rota’ there isn’t the appetite amongst the medical profession to cover a 24/7 resident service run by consultants/ SAS doctors nor is it affordable

[Andy Lowes @AndyLowes3]

@Resuspiece @VirtueOfNothing Not enough doctors with specialist airway skills to maintain 24hr resident cover in DGH ICUs (and there never will be). Can’t guarantee anaesthetic support after FFICM/RCOA split and need for guaranteed obstetric cover. Training resident ACCPs to intubate is 1 potential solution