On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 07:57:30 +0100, Fleck, Robert
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Mark
>
>There is a lot of wrangling going on, I have been the subject of much
myself, you can imagine working as part of an orthopaedic dept I am
somewhat isolated, still you got to keep doing what you can
>
>regards
>
>Bob
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Russell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 23 August 2004 17:16
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Interesting article?
>
>
>Bob
>
>They just don't get it, these medics and orthopods, do they? After Ralph
>went to great lengths on these pages the other month, to explain the
>realities of NHS titles, I've been telling our colleagues in the medical
>profession that they should be sensible now and realise the consultant
>debate has been lost and podiatric surgery is unstoppable in its
>ascendancy. "Be reasonable", I say to them, "and reason will prevail." I'm
>not sure whether they're paying much attention though.
>
>Some years back I ran a company that provided, amongst other things,
>management consultancy and locum services for private practice and the
>National Health. It was a private company and operated on a contractual
>basis. From the outset I used the term 'consultant' instead of 'director'
>or 'proprietor' or 'chief executive' as I thought it more appropriate for
>the type of work I was engaged in. This was a mistake. Although there are
>no legal barriers to using the term 'consultant' from a private company's
>point of view, I should have realised that it would ruffle more than a few
>feathers within the parochial environs of the NHS. It did. Without being
>made aware of the fact, I found out twelve months later that an alert
>notice had been registered against my name and although this was removed
>(with an apology from the Trust Chief Executive), it highlighted to me the
>depth of feeling held by those who attain this title in the public health
>sphere. Of course I should have known better but it was a genuine mistake
>and I apologised for any misunderstanding I caused. The Trust also
>apologised - they had ignored Department of Health procedures by issuing
>the notice without informing the individual (me) and legally they were in
>a precarious position. It was a salutary lesson for all concerned -
>especially for me, as it was a fellow podiatrist - not an orthopaedic
>consultant - who instigated the notice on behalf of the Trust.
>
>I recount this tale to illustrate how emotions can run high over
>territorial encroachment - in this case between two chiropodists; one a
>general practitioner and the other a podiatric surgeon. But it is not just
>with the term 'consultant' that friction is produced between these two
>entities. I know of one NHS podiatry department whose staff were at
>loggerheads with the local podiatric surgeon who insisted they call
>themselves chiropodists (as opposed to podiatrists), with predictable
>hostility all round as a result. What never ceases to amaze me however, is
>the annoyance from certain quarters of the podiatric profession directed
>at our colleagues in orthopaedics, when the latter takes umbrage at the
>use of terms such as 'consultant' and 'physician' by podiatrists. I would
>suspect that the vast majority of (registered) podiatrists are a little
>more than unhappy regarding the ascendancy of the 'independent trained'
>practitioner which has given them parity of registration with the HPC. Why
>should we expect orthopaedic consultants to feel any different towards
>podiatric surgeons?
>
>Unfortunately I can't see any reasonableness prevailing on either side.
>Reading through both podiatric and orthopaedic literature, both 'camps'
>appear to be intransigent with the result that these issues are set to be
>with us for some time yet. Podiatry will continue to make use of political
>expediency and the RCS will do their utmost to make life difficult at the
>sharp end. Personally, I'm not sure why those podiatrists with a desire to
>perform invasive surgery don't go back to university and undertake the
>same course of study as their medical counterparts, but no doubt someone
>will enlighten me otherwise. I also wonder how much time is devoted to the
>podiatric surgery problem by the principal professional body in relation
>to general podiatric practice given that there are less than
>200 'surgeons' against some 8,500 general practitioners. Is the ratio of
>resources devoted to each aspect of practice comparable?
>
>What is regrettable is the impasse we seem to be heading for. I have no
>doubt that podiatrists can and do make good foot and ankle surgeons but
>what could otherwise be a natural progression is being hindered by a
>flawed set-up during training. Perhaps one solution is to disband the
>terms 'podiatric surgeon' and 'orthopaedic surgeon' [in relation to foot
>surgery] and introduce 'foot and ankle surgeon' instead. As for training,
>shouldn't all surgeons progress from the same platform? That is, after
>all, what we demand from the unregistered practitioner after 2005 in our
>own profession.
>
>Yours sincerely
>
>Mark Russell
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>This message was distributed by the Podiatry JISCmail list server
>
>All opinions and assertions contained in this message are those of
>the original author. The listowner(s) and the JISCmail service take
>no responsibility for the content.
>
>to leave the Podiatry email list send a message containing the text
>leave podiatry
>to [log in to unmask]
>
>Please visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk for any further information
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>This message was distributed by the Podiatry JISCmail list server
>
>All opinions and assertions contained in this message are those of
>the original author. The listowner(s) and the JISCmail service take
>no responsibility for the content.
>
>to leave the Podiatry email list send a message containing the text
>leave podiatry
>to [log in to unmask]
>
>Please visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk for any further information
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
Bob,
What do you know; these pesky medics have declared open warfare on us poor
pods. Would you believe it? Never mind, I'm sure Ralph will be writing to
the Times in the next couple of days to tell them they're talking rubbish
again. Whatever next eh? I can see John Humphries and the Today team
penning their questions right now. Maybe even Paxman will get in on this
one. I cannae wait!
Happy Bank Holiday
Mark Russell
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,170-1239023,00.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was distributed by the Podiatry JISCmail list server
All opinions and assertions contained in this message are those of
the original author. The listowner(s) and the JISCmail service take
no responsibility for the content.
to leave the Podiatry email list send a message containing the text
leave podiatry
to [log in to unmask]
Please visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk for any further information
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
