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I don't know why I find Minerva's last article in the June 11 edition of the BMJ so annoying.
Maybe it's because she's poking fun at one of the institutions of my student days but I think it's due to the Anglocentric implication in her article that everybody north of Newcastle is an unsophisticated hairy a...d Scotsman.
"As any fule kno" Tannochbrae is based on Callander, which is in Forth Valley Health Board, not Highland, but Wikipedia informs me that the early episodes were filmed in Milngavie (which for the ignorant is a northern suburb of Glasgow).
In addition, in the attached photo Janet is clearly addressing the other doctor (which I take to be Dr Cameron).
Minerva should have learned by now that we are thin-skinned lot North of the border and easily take offence if we think we are being patronised by our Southern colleagues.
Minerva refers to the study performed in the Highlands and mentions "Inappropriate Dumping". The original article, which is a thoughtful and useful reflection on GP/Consultant interaction also mentions "Inappropriate referrals"
These mythical beasts surface occasionally in consultant thought and discourse. Whenever they are mentioned, I ask the Dr concerned to outline the last two, and to say how they would have dealt with them differently. So far, none have been identified...
In nearly 34 years in practice I haven't had a single letter suggesting that my referral was inappropriate. I am sure this isn't due to any expertise of mine.
Referrals and admissions make consultants' lives untidy. We are the ones who organise them, so of course we will be blamed. Maybe it should be recognised that this is an emotional response rather than one based on reality?
Re: GPs and consultants in the Highlands, BMJ 2016;353:i3101 . . .
I don't know why I find Minerva's last article in the June 11 edition of the BMJ so annoying.
Maybe it's because she's poking fun at one of the institutions of my student days but I think it's due to the Anglocentric implication in her article that everybody north of Newcastle is an unsophisticated hairy a...d Scotsman.
"As any fule kno" Tannochbrae is based on Callander, which is in Forth Valley Health Board, not Highland, but Wikipedia informs me that the early episodes were filmed in Milngavie (which for the ignorant is a northern suburb of Glasgow).
In addition, in the attached photo Janet is clearly addressing the other doctor (which I take to be Dr Cameron).
Minerva should have learned by now that we are thin-skinned lot North of the border and easily take offence if we think we are being patronised by our Southern colleagues.
Competing interests: No competing interests