The end

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7400.1221-a

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Colin Douglas, doctor and novelist

Edinburgh

Hospital parking has never been easier, in itself a sure sign of the terminal phase. It has been a long time coming, but reefs of packed boxes have accumulated in wards, offices, and corridors, and most have now been taken away. As with a home, the process of removal uncovers ever more grime and shabbiness. It is time to go.

In its prime, perhaps from 1870 to 1920, it led the way: a teaching hospital famed across the world. The advent of …