Letters
General practitioners' role in emergencies
EDITOR,--J N Rawlinson's letter about the role of deputising doctors in emergencies is unfairly critical of both general practitioners and their deputies.1 General practitioners cannot be expected to be available to their patients at all times regardless of the urgency of the situation, and inevitably there will be times when patients are seen by a partner, locum, or deputy. Moreover, there simply are not enough hours in the day to stay to care for someone who is newly bereaved: after offering sympathy, explanation, and advice about necessary formalities there is little else one can do, and other work is always waiting. I would be interested to know how much care and counselling is offered by the doctors in Rawlinson's accident and emergency unit. With the old man's daughter and a concerned neighbour present at the incident that Rawlinson cites, it was not unreasonable for the deputising doctor to leave.
Secondly,
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BMJ 1995 311: 394.[Extract] [Full Text]
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