EDITOR,--In their survey of consultant physicians' attitudes to the Calman proposals Hugh M Mather and Robert S Elkeles show an important misconception about the nature of those proposals and the manner of their implementation.1 Nevertheless, we shall do well to heed the responses they obtained.

In summarising the Calman proposals the authors assume that what was envisaged was a service essentially provided by consultants resident on call. Indeed, they repeatedly refer to a “consultant provided service.” In fact, the Calman report referred only to a “consultant based service,” and, while I accept that neither of the two terms has been defined, I know, having been a member of the original working party, that emergency services …