Some good news at last

Papers p 832

The headline news from the NHS has made grim reading this year: funding crises, shortages of beds, and crimes. The public is increasingly aware of our unenviable record of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and constructive criticism has been replaced by the destructive soundbite. The perception is of an NHS that has gone downhill since the halcyon days of the 1950s—overwhelmed by bureaucracy and initiatives that impede advances in clinical practice.1

Yet there is another tale to tell. Over the past decade a quiet revolution has occurred in medical education. After the publication of the General Medical Council's recommendations in Tomorrow's Doctors in 19932 all UK medical schools have revised their undergraduate curriculums. Alongside a strong science base, 3 Tomorrow's Doctors emphasised the importance of communication skills, learning through curiosity, understanding public health medicine, and adapting to changing patterns of health care. The burden of factual information really was reduced, and a core curriculum defined. The implementation of …