BMJ 1996;312:1675 (29 June)

Letters

Confidential voluntary scheme has been set up in Britain

EDITOR,--Ruth Chambers and Richard Maxwell mention counselling services to help sick doctors.1 Canada has had a scheme for years to help chemically dependent doctors. Last November, while at a conference in York on addiction in doctors and dentists, I heard about the physicians support programme in Ontario from Dr Graeme Cunningham, the coordinator. This uses doctors who have recovered from dependence on alcohol and other drugs.

The authors of the editorial state that only 3% of sick doctors use support schemes. Why is this? Doctors (and their families, colleagues, patients, etc) do not seek help because of denial, lack of insight into personal illness, and fear of confiding in non-medical dependent people.

When training elephants, mahouts use older trained elephants to set an example and to overcome the fear of the trainee and act as a role model. The same applies in medical training.

In Britain, as in other countries, . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Helping sick doctors
Ruth Chambers and Richard Maxwell
BMJ 1996 312: 722-723. [Extract] [Full Text]

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