On Wed, 2004-03-31 at 22:22, Julian Bradley wrote:
> I think it was an honourable profession. The good it did was not easily
> measured, but no less important for all that.
> It's memory and ethos lives on in at least a few hearts.
Plenty of allusions there, Julian. Mark-Anthony's speech in Julius
Caesar, and Pericles' Athenian funeral oration, for starters. I'm not
quite sure whether you are comparing general practice to Brutus or to
Caesar. :-0
I think you are being too gloomy, though. Contracts and stuff are just
ways of paying us. Time will tell whether the new arrangements help or
hinder the recruitment crisis. You can't expect Governments to get all
worked up about professional ethos, that's our business. But I am
optimistic. To quote Pericles exactly:
"Their story lives on, without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of
other men's lives." As we practice and teach we influence the next
generation of doctors, let us hope for the best.
Custom and practice changes over the years. It is up to us to retain and
hand on what is good and useful. And should we fail it will not be for
want of trying.
Life was not all rosy in the recent past. I can recall being so mentally
knackered and in need of a rest that I felt unable to postpone going on
holiday for a few days to attend my nephew's funeral. That was 11 years
ago. I am nowhere near as stressed today as I prepare to leave on
another holiday.
I have plenty of criticisms of the structure and implementation of the
new contract, but we will work with our PCT to do the best we can for
our patients. I don't expect the future to be radically different from
the past, I think it will be better in some ways and worse in others.
Fundamentally I think that general practice is a good profession. I am
proud to be in the same profession as you and the other thoughtful wise
opinionated humorous strong fallible irritating weak loving and good
people on this list. (And I mean all of you, of course.)
Blimey! And I haven't even been drinking!
--
Michael Leuty <[log in to unmask]>
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