Theme issue for patients: Negative stereotypes are becoming ingrained  in national psyche

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7412.449

BMJ 2003;327:449 (23 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7412.449

Letter

Theme issue for patients

Negative stereotypes are becoming ingrained in national psyche

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I found the patients' issue thoroughly depressing.¹As a doctor in training, I am presented, on a daily basis,with evidence implying that doctors are, variously, self serving,arrogant, poor communicators, unconcerned with their patients,lazy, insufficiently expert, dangerous, negligent, in the payof big business, reactionary, Luddite, and rude. These stereotypesare peddled by the media and are becoming ingrained in the national psyche.

I was disappointed to see very few (if any) contributions tothe patients' issue from doctors who currently face patientsin an emergency, at unsocial hours, in dismal surroundings.These patients present with unrealistic expectations, whichhave been constantly inflated by government spin and the grosscommercialisation of society. I believe that the patients' issuemerely served to add insult to a group of healthcare workerswho, in general, are striving to provide better care everysingle day, in difficult circumstances, and I . . . [Full text of this article]

Remy McConvey, senior house officer psychiatry

Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WL mcconvey@bigfoot.com