The greatest compliment that a patient can pay to a doctor is to recognise that they saved that patient’s life.

Dr Thinus Van Rensburg, a fellow GP on the other side of Australia, recently sent me this accolade: “Saw a patient today who told me how a retired professor of medicine doing a locum saved her life.

I got much satisfaction in explaining that you’re actually a Professor of General Practice, and she was very fortunate to run into you.

She says ‘Hi’.”