On 03/08/98 06:47:45, "David Adey" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear David
[snip]
>The message is clear, that neither Party is going to leave us alone, and
>single handers are vulnerable, because administratively it is cheaper to
>manage us collectively.
I am acutely aware of that. One of the main reasons I am a solo GP is
that I want to be so :-)
>As a single hander, I have made myself as difficult as possible to get rid of,
This is it! This is a crucial point. Pragmatism :-)
I can see that, however, it is in my nature to be mean, moody and
magnificent at times ;-)
>by jumping through every hoop, such as performance targets, Band 3, and
>Multifunding, that they have thrown at us.
Ditto here. But I always thought that was part of good medical practice
anyway.
>The message of the White Paper is clear, that either we sort ourselves out,
>or we will be sorted out by the Health Authority.
At least I can go in screaming and kicking and preserve my freedom to say
to my patients that unpalatable changes are done without my consent.
This is one of the main planks of my argument: *I do not give my
consent* I do not agree. I refuse.
In the old Soviet Union, people like me went to Siberia and the West
spent millions of dollars to support them and publicise their plight.
If they shut me down, then they'll have to answer to my flock of 2500
and I'll have a story to tell. I would have preserved my *honour* in
not forcibly done something for which I have not consented.
I know words like 'honour' and 'intellectual freedom' mean very little
these days to many people. They are *important* to *me*.
>My own experience is that a Multifund / P.C.G. type organisation, with the
>Doctors, nurses, and our own managers running it, enables change to occur,
>with us having some input and control, of the process.
But that's precisely the point. I *do not* want change.
There was a time when all governments thought that the doctors' lobby
was too powerful and cannot be tackled head-on.
There was a time when we were powerful. Now? The politician deployed
one of the best tactics in the land: drown them in one re-organisation
after another and they will argue and fight amongst themselves and never
have time to think about other real and important things. Started with
Thatcher. It worked. It will continue to work. The difference this
time is two-fold:
a) it is being done almost by decree from a very powerful government led
by a very powerful PM. Cabinet has more or less ceased to exist.
b) our last remaining vestige of hold on influence will be gone
forever.
>It isn't going to go away. G.Ps in an effective Group has proven much more
>beneficial than it sounds.
>Our main objective is not to see all that hard work destroyed.
My main objective is not to see all the hard work that thousands of
doctors before me had to endure so that I can practice medicine in an
atmosphere free of fear and greed.
Best...
Ahmad
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Dr Ahmad Risk
http://www.cybermedic.org
Chairman British Healthcare Internet Association <http://www.bhia.org>
Director Internet Healthcare Coalition - USA <http://www.ihc.net>
Home: +44 1273 724866/748198
Work: +44(1737)240022 Fax: +44 1737 244660
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