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LETTERS: Mark F Nicol Barriers to effective stroke care out of hours need to be broached BMJ 2002; 325: 596a [Full text]

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Use honey not vinegar

steve meek   (15 September 2002)

Use honey not vinegar 15 September 2002
steve meek, ED Consultant Frenchay Hospital BristolBS6 5QE Send response to journal: Re: Use honey not vinegar	Dr Nichol is finding it difficult to get the tests he desires for his patients and sadly most of us in the relatively new specialty of emergency medicine (A&E) have been in this situation. The 'get the medics to see the patient first' retort is particularly humiliating for the current generation of UK emergency physicians. My experience has been that it takes a while to change attitudes, but if we provide the evidence base for our scan requests, our departments soon become recognised as reliable and thoughtful use of the radiology service, and the barriers come down. Honey rather than vinegar is the way to change the perceptions of other specialties - and accompanying the patient to the scanner yourself allows face to face discussion and a demonstration to the (usually consultant) radiologist that he isn't the only consultant in the hospital out of office hours. Steve Meek Frenchay