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LETTERS: Jon Ford Public trust in doctors undented BMJ 2007; 335: 465-a [Full text]

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Patchiness at the BMA

William G Pickering.   (11 September 2007)

Patchiness at the BMA 11 September 2007
William G Pickering., Doctor 7 Moor Place, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE3 4AL Send response to journal: Re: Patchiness at the BMA	Patchiness at the BMA Mr Ford of the BMA should listen to clinical anecdotes from patients and doctors instead of commissioning non-clinical MORI polls. This may jolt him out of his partisan complacency. In some ways newsworthy disasters (Cleveland, Shipman, cot death controversies etc), by enabling short sighted commentators to pass them off as cut, dried and exceptional, neatly deflect from the nationwide rudimentary clinical errors which pass without remark, day after day. In state systems (medicine and education for example), it is human nature to repose faith in them: or at least, extravagant hope. There is nowhere else for most people to go — and MORI polls reflect that. The first Cleveland and Bristol patients were anecdotal, the last ones brought enquiries and shut down the culprits — hopelessly too late [1]. The clinical anecdote, for so long the greatest personal medical teacher for those with eyes to see, is too kindred with clinical accountability to be countenanced by state medicine’s regulatory bodies and trade union [2]. Mr Ford of the BMA perhaps feels clinical accountability is best exacted by MORI polls. Look no further than that mentality to account for the ever- present clinical patchiness in the state-funded UK health services. William G Pickering. 7.9.07. wgpi@hotmail.com References: 1. Pickering W G. Systematic clinical accountability is required. BMJ, Nov 2003; 327: 1109 2. Pickering W G. BMJ 1992 The negligent treatment of the medical anecdote. Vol 304 p1516 Competing interests: None declared