I am not surprised that Caithness General Hospital cannot recruit senior staff. Their ad for a consultant anaesthetist tells potential applicants to request an information pack in writing! Yes that's correct, they give a snail mail address. And they say online applications are not permitted! Are they deluded or insane?

I knew Caithness was years behind current practice elsewhere and that NHS HR in general is years behind everyone else, but this is absurd.

I find it hard to recruit people by requiring them to complete an application on my organisation's website because this is so old fashioned. I wouldn't get a single applicant if I asked potential applicants to write me a letter!

The ad might as well say you won't be considered unless you're older than Florence Nightingale's grandfather.

No wonder CGH is going down the tubes if they have to rely on Neanderthal HR practices.