Doug,
>On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 14:10:09 +0100, you wrote:
>
>>This attitude is astonishing. HMG has big majority, let's all lie down
>>and die 'coz we cannot stop it! I can't see the connection.
>
>I agree.
>Simon Fradd's argument is entirely illogical.
>Does the governments large majority mean that it is right when it makes a
decision and that we must acquiesce.
>Of course not.
>What about the decision not to pay GPs for telephone advice to TRs and to
stage our pay award.
>
>The size of the government majority makes no difference to the arguments
for or against an issue.
>
>This type of decision making is known as 'The easy way out method'.
>ie. Choose the easiest alternative (usually to do nothing, or to do what
one is told). Then when this decision is challenged you say there was no
other choice.
Bravo!
The Government have a mandate to reform health care, but not to ride
roughshod over the opinions of the people at the sharp end who have to
deliver the care to the people. When we tell our political representatives
that we understand that the new NHS structure produced after the sham of a
"consultation exercise" is going to be unworkable, they should be listening,
and fighting for our interests. Unfortunately, the only response so far is
the combination of complacency and cowardice expressed in Dr Fradd's reply.
The issue of failure to pay for telephone consultation to TRs is important,
but very marginal as long as the iniquitous pool system of payment remains.
Staging the pay award, without even the bad excuse of Britain's economic
performance being poor, is much more important to all of us. But our
leaders do nothing, and even appear to be so demoralised that they have even
given up the simple expedient of protesting when it is done to us yet again!
:-(
In 1990, those of us who disagreed with the arrival of fundholding on moral
or philosophical grounds could refuse to "take the money and run", and
continue to practice patient-centred medicine without introducing fiscal
constraints directly into the doctor-patient relationship. That right is
about to be taken from us without our consent.
It's time for all of us, especially those who are active in medical politics
(which I am not) to wake up to the real threat to our livelihoods expressed
in the proposed changes. We have been mice for too long, let's express our
humanity and protest at the looming exploitation of us all!
John.
Dr. John Caldwell
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