Not much has changed, then.

A few years ago I worked in an NHS hospital lab. I went there after some years in industry. I didn't last 6 months, despite being far more expert in laboratory methods than most around me. Bad enough that most senior lab staff seemed to think actual work was beneath their station - the department head started at 10am, took 2 hours for lunch, and buggered off at 4pm. More junior staff regularly worked a dozen hours or more unpaid overtime a week. I reported to management that many lab tests were being severely compromised by pressure of work and lack of proper line management. I was told to shut my mouth or look for another job - in exactly those words. The extra training I was promised never ever materialised - a new excuse every week.

But the biggest problem was that I had never worked in a place where so many people thought they could tell me what to do. It might not have been so bad if they'd got together and made their minds what they wanted - but it was a constant battle between contrasting instructions, usually preceeded by "I don't care what --- told you!". In among all that, what I saw in the way of dodgy contracts, patient miscare and plain criminality would fill a book.

When - inevitably - I got sick of the 10 chiefs and 5 indians syndrome, not to mention management by bullying and lying - I left. I included in my resignation that I had never ever worked in a place where the words "tell me what to do and I'll do it" were regarded as insubordination.

That was a few years ago. Ex-colleagues still in the system tell me it's since got worse. I can't imagine how that might be humanly possible.