Complaints
BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7388.557/a (Published 08 March 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:557All rapid responses
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"There is a general feeling that the scales of justice are
unreasonably weighed in the balance between public and doctors"
From the tone of his article I think that the author assumes the
balance is unreasonably weighed towards the favour of the patients. I
don't agree with his assumption.
This may be the "general feeling" amongst the medical profession, I
agree. But I don't know that it is the "general feeling" amongst the
health consumers, our patients.
I believe that the increasing numbers of complaints against the
medical profession is the very evidence that shows the public don't feel
the balance of the scales of justice are weighed to their advantage.
As doctors, we are simply another service provider. We should be
answerable to the public's expectations of us.
It should be up to the consumers of the service, our patients, to
determine the weighting of the scales of justice, not ourselves.
Therefore it is the patients "general feeling" of the weighing of the
scales of justice that matter. Not our "general feeling".
If we asked them, I wonder what their response would be?
Dr Martin McKendry
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: Perception?
Dr McKendry thinks that "As doctors, we are simply another service
provider."
I wonder whether if someone wandered into his office and demanded
amputation of a perfectly healthy leg, he would oblige?
For a service provide, the customer is always right.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests