I had the same issue with a road safety charity that I am involved with.
We decided to accept funding from a legal firm to sponsor literature
advertising our helpline for patients. I was rather doubtful, but the
reasoning ran as follows:
1) Compensation for harm is felt by the public to be a good thing, and
if someone has suffered or has ongoing care costs then they should be
compensated.
2) A patient survey showed that people wanted information about how they
should go about finding a lawyer.
3) Following our literature meant that they were directed to a good
legal firm rather than one of the cowboys.
As the only doctor involved in the discussion I realised that my
opinions had been shaped by my own concerns about promoting a
'compensation culture' - but that this did not really fit with the view
of my fellow Trustees or the public when surveyed. Reflecting, maybe it
was my own fear of being sued that made me have an anti-lawyer mindset?
Overall I think that it would still be better not to have this sort of
sponsorship.
Tim. Coats.
-----Original Message-----
From: Accident and Emergency Academic List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Doc Holiday
Sent: 10 May 2007 16:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Advice Leaflet
From: "McCormick Simon Dr, Consultant, A&E"
<[log in to unmask]>
>I would suggest that equating tobacco and alcohol consumption with NWNF
>lawyers, whilst tempting, is unfair in a health setting.
--> OK. You're right. It was a rather underhanded thing of me to do.
--> Smoking
and alcohol are indeed "bad", but lawyers are in a class of their own,
WAYYYY up the scale of things which are REALLY bad...
>Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not keen on the use of this money
>but other parts of this Trust, and indeed other EDs, seem to be happy
>to take it.
--> We do not misunderstand. We would be just as tempted, no?
>In this new business orientated NHS the decision not to take 'free'
>money has to be justified robustly.
--> It's not "free". I am aware of what they usually offer and it's
--> PEANUTS
compared to the value of the advertising and promotion they receive in
return by the "A&E Doctor handed to me this NWNF sercive's details, so
it's probably the right thing to do" route...
>Perhaps someone from an ED who does take this money would care to
>comment on how such a decision was taken and how staff felt/feel about
it.
--> Sorry, can't help. All I could describe is the decision process
--> which
resulted in us saying "no"...
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