Deputising general practitioners' role in emergencies

EDITOR,--The other day my neighbour died. As she became ill her husband called their general practitioner and was referred to a deputising service. Later he called an ambulance as she deteriorated further, and the ambulance and the deputising doctor arrived together. I witnessed this and went to help; cardiac massage had been started. I am a staff doctor in accident and emergency and an instructor on an advanced life support (cardiac) course. I have no experience of care in the community and was well aware that this was not my “turf,” but I knew the paramedic crew …