It has to be said that I don't have too much of a problem with general
practice, although I would of course like to be paid twice as much and work
half as hard etc. Part of the reason for this is that I have learnt exactly
how far I can personally be dedicated and caring , and take extreme care not
to cross that line. Having devoted a deal of time to avoiding it happening
to me, and setting up mechanisms for avoiding it happening to other people
in Durham (HA paid sabbaticals, an occupational health system for GPs etc) I
am extremely sympathetic to people who have been crushed by the system.

The trouble is that the qualities needed in a doctor (i.e. dedication and
caring-ness) are naturally coupled with a desire to be valued and an endless
capacity for self-doubt - both of which I can personally identify with, and
both of which I have devoted eighteen years to suppressing.

On the face of it, I am not sure that someone like Tim Paine (whoever he is)
can be blind to the fact that some of his colleagues are suffering - but
does it mean that he can't say he enjoys life as a GP? After all, he may
need to say it just to reassure himself that it is worth carrying on.

I always ignore politicians when they make grand statements, like La Bottom.
She wasn't the first, and she won't be the last to purposely misconstrue
events. What we can do is keep our message up - I tell people the NHS is 20%
underfunded below the minimum safe level every chance I get. What we don't
(in my opinion) want to do is to flagellate ourselves in private or
sem-private, because we will just get even more miserable.

I spent five years around the time I was twenty reconstructing myself into
an optimist. On the whole, I am glad I did it. It doesn't mean to say that I
don't acknowledge the bad bits, but I can't half ride the blows.

Am I the only one apart from Tim?

A

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Declan Fox
> Sent: 06 October 1998 11:35
> To: INTERNET:[log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: viagra yet again
>
>
> <<I'm very glad Tim Paine ( my trainer of 23 years ago) is still so
> enamoured
> with general practice>>
> and << . Methinks Tim is very much in the minority. I need to
> know if he is not>>
> I may be accused of bias given my resignation but then OTOH  I *have* done
> more for the profession and for my patients while in practice than most.
> I would have to look very hard indeed to find anyone like Tim. Given that
> none of us are islands I am not even sure that I admire his stance.  How
> can a dedicated caring (I presume) GP be so blind to the agony of so many
> of his colleagues? And I think we have all seen enough of how the DoH
> seizes with glee any evidence that GPs are happy with their lot.  Remember
> Bottomless's great line
> "Morale in general practice has never been higher."
> Let us check it out.  There are 600+ on this list, mostly GPs.   Could
> anyone who identifies with TIm please tell us?
> Declan
>



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