The CMO (Chief Medical Officer) has issued a special update, A communication to all doctors in England. He must have spent too much time with politicians because his update is verbose and, in many places, vague. Here are some examples.

'I believe that the recommendations in my report [Good doctors, safer patients] create a strong, effective interface between local healthcare systems for assuring good clinical governance and patient safety, and permit a fair system of regulating the practice of individual doctors. Underpinning this is the creation of generic and specialist standards that are valid, reliable and capable of assessment.'

His recommendations will do nothing unless they are followed.

'Together the measures enable a reduction in the climate of blame, retribution and disciplinary action that usually attends poor medical performance, and the introduction of stronger elements of prevention and earlier recognition of problems, retraining and rehabilitation.'

Can climates be reduced?

'This will help to eliminate situations where poor practice is not recognised and acted upon because of adverse organisational culture, weak local clinical governance, poor employment practice, variable standards for judging performance, doctors who are between jobs or locations, or situations where it is unclear whose responsibility it is to take action.'

'Finally, Good doctors, safer patients ensures a strong interface between complaints about clinical services and complaints about doctors and gives educational and standard-setting bodies a more formal role in medical regulation. Each of these recommendations is part of the complex measures designed to ensure the safer delivery of healthcare in the United Kingdom.'

I hope doctors' communications to patients are clearer than this.

Quote for today
Husbands are like fires. They go out when unattended.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, (1919 - ) Hungarian-born American film star