The end of the NHS?

摘要

Mike Fitzpatrick's article 'The end of the NHS?' in the March issue of BJGP starts with a quote 'What do you call a man who ignores medical advice? Mr Clarke'. That was the theme of one of the British Medical Association's (BMA's) posters used in its campaign of 1989/90 against Kenneth Clarke's so-called 'reforms'. The quote comes from Nicholas Timmins' book The Five Giants - a Biography of the Welfare State (page 471). Fitzpatrick continues with a completely unsupported and derogatory statement 'the BMA's pompous "doctors know best" slogan was a spectacular flop'. A casual reader may think that Timmins held that view. He certainly did not.