At 20:54 12/10/2004, you wrote:
>On Saturday 09 Oct 2004 05:43, Adrian Midgley wrote:
> > On Friday 08 October 2004 08:45, Julian Bradley wrote:
> > > >I think you'll find that that is an assertion, actually.
> > >
> > > FWIW, and isn't semantics fun, the statement could be an assertion if I
> > > asserted it, but if I put it up for reality testing, proving or
> > > disproving, then it's not unreasonable to see it as a hypothesis.
> >
> > I don't see the point of a "hypothesis" that doesn't include an idea about
> > why...
> >
> > No, you assert above that something is so, but do not hypothesise why that
> > is the case.
>
>Well...
>
>That killed that thread off nicely; You're not on the GMC board are you Midge?
>--
>Mark
The characteristics of threads with longevity would make an interesting study.
There probably need to be people with fairly passionate beliefs on both
sides of the argument.
In the case of the GMC thread (or non-thread):
It may be that no-one wants to defend the GMC itself (perhaps indefensible)
It may be that no-one wants to add further to the criticism (any of us
could end up before it and possibly victimized)
Both AKM and I have offspring who've qualified recently and it may be that
the comments made which were intended to be about the GMC's failure to
ensure quality in the training of young doctors were interpreted as a
criticism of the doctors themselves (which wasn't intended).
The rags are now acknowledging that the GMC as we have known it may be in
its death throws.
Of course there will be debates in other places about what should replace
it, but perhaps GP UK could still make a contribution?
The need for control over the abuse of medical privileges and for a
national professional body to have some input into the pattern of
professional training seems uncontentious.
The question of whether we need a professional body, not a trade union, to
ensure medical ethics are not corrupted by the power of government doesn't
seem unworthy of debate.
Finally the original hypothesis / assertion, that the GMC is incapable of
safeguarding standards of medical care could equally be applied to the
courts, parliament, or management. Medical care as a human activity (an
incredibly complex one at that) will always be flawed. We need to ensure
that the remedies are not worse than the problem.
Julian
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