In response to this article ("What are the consequences when doctors strike?" 25/11/15) we three young medical cousins (one FY2 and two medical students) had a discussion with our Grandfather, Gerald Sandler, and Emeritus Consultant Cardiologist who recalled the last doctor’s strike in 1975.
At the time, Grandad was at Barnsley District General Hospital and, alongside fellow consultant colleagues, was responsible for performing the duties of the striking junior doctors, including the weekend on call for admissions, being resident on-call in the hospital from Friday night to Monday evening. Of course, he considers this the “good, old days” before the EWTD had even been considered. On Saturday afternoon, a young person was admitted in a moribund state. He recounts that the patient was peripherally cold, mottled, obtunded, hypotensive and peri-arrest.
Grandad has always prided himself on clinical knowledge and accurate diagnostics, obtaining the University Gold Medal in his undergraduate finals at the University of London in 1952, alongside an impressive 3 distinctions. He can’t remember exactly what clinical features drew him to this conclusion, but he was suspicious of Waterhouse-Friedrichsen syndrome. Treatment with intravenous fluids, hydrocortisone and penicillin was initiated swiftly and the patient went on to make a complete recovery.
Whilst we would not question the capabilities of the modern day frontline medical teams, we do wonder if such an uncommon and critical diagnosis may not have been reached as quickly should the clerking doctor have been a house officer rather than an Consultant and consider if, on this occasion, the junior doctor’s strike may have saved this life.
Rapid Response:
A Strike that may have saved a Life
In response to this article ("What are the consequences when doctors strike?" 25/11/15) we three young medical cousins (one FY2 and two medical students) had a discussion with our Grandfather, Gerald Sandler, and Emeritus Consultant Cardiologist who recalled the last doctor’s strike in 1975.
At the time, Grandad was at Barnsley District General Hospital and, alongside fellow consultant colleagues, was responsible for performing the duties of the striking junior doctors, including the weekend on call for admissions, being resident on-call in the hospital from Friday night to Monday evening. Of course, he considers this the “good, old days” before the EWTD had even been considered. On Saturday afternoon, a young person was admitted in a moribund state. He recounts that the patient was peripherally cold, mottled, obtunded, hypotensive and peri-arrest.
Grandad has always prided himself on clinical knowledge and accurate diagnostics, obtaining the University Gold Medal in his undergraduate finals at the University of London in 1952, alongside an impressive 3 distinctions. He can’t remember exactly what clinical features drew him to this conclusion, but he was suspicious of Waterhouse-Friedrichsen syndrome. Treatment with intravenous fluids, hydrocortisone and penicillin was initiated swiftly and the patient went on to make a complete recovery.
Whilst we would not question the capabilities of the modern day frontline medical teams, we do wonder if such an uncommon and critical diagnosis may not have been reached as quickly should the clerking doctor have been a house officer rather than an Consultant and consider if, on this occasion, the junior doctor’s strike may have saved this life.
Competing interests: No competing interests