Doctors can pay a high price when speaking out
The professional pledge of the modern-day physician is to serve humanity, respect human life and advance healthcare. The AMA Code of Ethics also explicitly states…
Robert
GP’s letter to Santa: Do you have CPD too?
Dear Santa, I hope you haven’t been struggling with heat waves in the North Pole, which would so upset the reindeer and your important work with…
Is limiting access to healthcare the solution to doctor burnout, cost blowouts and patient harm?
Recently I’ve been considering the concept of unlimited growth. In medicine, unlimited growth is the hallmark of cancer, in which cells continue to multiply without…
No complacency: Here’s a plan for GPs to protect their patients from COVID-19
I know we’re all bored of having the coronavirus conversation, but the reality is COVID-19 is here to stay. I want to stress that failure…
‘Do you think this could be Ebola?’: When a patient’s travels become a GP’s adventure
When Australia locked down its borders to the entire world during the pandemic, one huge source of stress was eliminated for me. I’ve always enjoyed…
Her illness was torture but her death was lovely: Why we need more GPs to become VAD doctors
Having passed my preclinical training at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in Paddington, London, in 1970, I enthusiastically hit the wards of the hospital. However,…
Stop talking about boosting bulk-billing rates and admit the truth: The money is still not enough
The changes to Medicare and general practice over the course of the year have sent the strongest signal ever that the public should not expect…
‘The loop of lunacy keeps playing in my mind’: Hospice interview with a dying general (practitioner)
The following story is based on an interview with a dying “General”, admitted to hospice. The General worked as a practitioner. (I am not allowed…
I’m sorry Dr Adam Smith, but MDOs can’t afford to defend doctors accused of defamation
Doctors are critical thinkers — they have to be to avoid making clinical blunders. And doctors are also advocates for their patients, so they speak…
Intoxicated by the warm brew of self-righteous indignation: Where has all the courtesy gone?
I phoned a colleague’s surgery recently and heard the recorded message. There were various options about making an online appointment, and what to do about…
