BMJ  2004;329:919 (16 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7471.919

Letter

The three paradoxes of private medicine

Hypocrisy, shock, and embarrassment were trivialised

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

EDITOR—I read the personal view column always with interest, mostly with pleasure, sometimes with sadness, but rarely with the mixture of disbelief and anger I experienced about "The three paradoxes of private medicine."¹

Firstly, the opening paragraphs reveal hypocrisy usually heard from Labour politicians who defend sending their children to private schools. So private medicine stinks, but, when it suits my family I am going to make use of it.

Secondly, it was hard to believe how shocked Longley was to be faced with courtesy and politeness by the staff he encountered. What does this say about the NHS? In my general practice we employ 34 staff and spend time training them to deal with the general public in a polite and sensitive way—not always an easy task—and I hope not with the same contempt Longley aims at the private sector.

Finally, he faced the embarrassment of being . . . [Full text of this article]

Whiteladies Health Centre, Bristol BS8 2PU drjohnbailey@hotmail.com

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