Caring for doctors at work

doi:10.1136/bmj.a2795

Published 2 December 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2795
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2795

Letters

Doctors’ health

Caring for doctors at work

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

Doctors, like professionals in the aviation industry, transport,and emergency services, are safety critical workers and needan occupational health service to match.¹ Would you like yourpilot to have untreated depression? Your surgeon might haveit.

Occupational health standards are well developed in other areas;only the medical profession lags behind. An effective occupationalhealth service developed for safety critical professionals removesmany health issues from the province of the General MedicalCouncil.

Sick doctors are not fit to work until they are well. Fit doctorsshould be able to return to work in an appropriate capacitywithout being stigmatised by GMC proceedings or professionalprejudices.

As a first step, it would be helpful to abolish medieval practicessuch as putting mental health patients on trial, as happensduring the GMC health procedures. While the GMC exercises apunitive function, complete with barristers, solicitors, anddefence organisations, doctors will . . . [Full text of this article]

Liz Miller, occupational health physician and general practitioner¹

¹ London SW6 4PH

liz@lizmiller.co.uk