On 03/13/98 01:48:08, Peter Wilson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Thank you. Peter, for this thought provoking letter.
>Firstly may I take this opportunity to express my support for the DFI
>movement.
Delighted :-)
>Wasn't sure which secondary thread to reply to because your original posting
>seems to have spawned so many others and I suppose this would suit equally
>the DFI, Manifesto, Shotgun Marriage, etc.
Let's just call it 'DFI - The Manifesto' for now.
>Your outstanding and respected contribution to this list must surely be
>acknowledged by all and perhaps you could use your influence to consolidate
>all related discussion under one heading. (Cyberhuggy ;-))
Someone refused me earlier today and KT is silent on the matter ;-) :-)
Having recently taken my tash off, I could now see the *whole* of my
face blushing! (for all 'tash-fans out there, do not despair, Groucho
is coming back)
>I am sure that there are many more "out there" who would be supportive of
>your ideals if there was a clearer way forward to achieving them.
OK. Let's work on that for a bit. The first salvo tackling the
'clearer way forward' was fired off in the form of the original
'Manifesto' posting.
To make it clearer:
1. We need the 'ideal' planted firmly in our mind so that we are able
to crystalise the ideas. We need to *believe* in the vision
passionately.
2. We are not afraid of *anything*
3. If you can do medicine, you can do *anything*
4. Funding: plenty, we'll just go out for it and we'll help each other
5. We need to cut across and bypass the existing mechanisms for
representation, ie, the GMSC/BMA paradigm
6. We'll do that by a true grassroots movement and proper democracy,
ie, resurrect the ideals of the very first BMA. Those ideals that
have gotten buried so deep so that we cannot find them in our
conscious any more
7. What I am raising here is a palace coup! A replacement representation.
An ousting of a representation that has sold us down the rive time and
again for peanuts
(I am conscious that I could go to jail for that. It won't be the first
time I have been incarcerated for a principle).
See the 5-Point Plan of Action below.
>WE allknow that the present NHS free for all is unsustainable but
>let's face it, WE have been having these "Bail out or bail faster"
>discussions since the early days of gp-uk.
Time to stop the 'cyber-huggy' discussion and get organising, I'd say.
>My local colleague will shortly be publishing the results of his straw
>poll concerning the PCGs and predictably through our informal contacts
>I already know the likely outcome :-)
Looking forward to that :-)
>Hopefully this will be taken up by the magazines and perhaps a national
> poll will follow with a similar ratio of For/Against
We must *insist* on a national (secret) ballot.
>However, where will this get us when the only negotiating body we have
>has in the past effectively ignored a mandate from the membership and
>accepted a deal on our behalf.
We shall oust them. Period.
>The problem with the PCGs that we are all becoming aware of is that in
>any community of around 100,000 there will be GPs who find the idea
>appealing and even if one says "Sod it, I'm having nothing to do with
>it but I'll get dragged in kicking and screaming at the lowest level"
>there will be some amongst that population who will say "Ah, but if we
>aim for a higher level then we'll have much more say in how our
>resources are used, etc. etc." In other words, you're stuffed :-(
Of course, there will always be those who are tempted for a variety of
reasons. Power corrupts.
However, *it is* our nature to protect and nurture, to illuminate and
enlighten, to engage with thought and conjecture. We *must* look after
each other. I swore to it in 1973 when I passed out.
Yes, GPs all over the land will be herded into phoney groups. Yes,
some will enjoy the power and the prestige. We will have 5000+ 'cells'
in every and each one of those groups ;-)
I must not reveal too much. It is sufficient to say that I am steeped
in guerilla warfare ;-)
The miners went down in 1984. They did not go down without a fight.
I have *no* intention of going down!
>There are also several threads on the go at the moment originating from
>those attending meetings with HA's re PCGs, enquiring as to optimum size,
>payments for attending,etc. These will win the day unless something dramatic
>happens :-(
Our destiny is in *our* hands. We have the means to make it happen.
Dramatically!
>I could identify with Paul's statement but would feel a lot more comfortable
>if it was an "All for one...." scenario.
Make it so!
>Someone said "Get real, Ahmad" and I can sympathise with this attitude given
>our profession's past performances against HMG but let's face it, the
>showdown, collapse, sinking or whatever you call it IS going to happen and
>all that any Government is interested in is making sure that "IT" doesn't
>get the blame. WE have to be prepared to stand up and say "Yup, it's our
>fault but we did it for your own good because if we hadn't then you'd have
>had no Service at all"
Anything else would be a betrayal of centuries of *good and wise
service*.
>So, say we get out 5,000 DeFIers. Then what?
>
>Lead us .......Pleeeeease.
The 5-Point Plan of Action:
1. Get 5000+ 'Defiers'
2. Get funding (including emergency and welfare)
3. If they don't ballot nationally, we will
4. When we have a mandate, the sky's the limit!
5. Formulate the vision and the passion into practical solutions
>P.S. What are you doing visiting an Na+ ? :-)))
Na+ dropped to his boots (111) after just 2 weeks of bendro!
You give the stuff by the bucket day in day out, every now and again,
one reacts this way! Anyone with similar experiences?
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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