A degree from Oxford, five years at medical school, four years of hospital jobs, a year as a GP trainee, supervised by an experienced family doctor and then, finally, at last, I was deemed well-enough trained to be safe to see, assess, diagnose and treat patients on my own. And, even then, I was nervous. I was of course an expensive commodity. You would not pay Gordon Ramsay to put ketchup on your burger, would you? Why pay me to see your sick child?
Feeling ill? You don’t need to wait to see a doctor.
"Our prescribing Nurse Practitioners are highly trained and are able to deal with the vast majority of medical issues that you present us with. They are able to diagnose and prescribe medication and work closely with our GPs on any cases about which they want a second opinion. As we have a growing team of nurse practitioners, you could save you time if you want to get in and see us as quickly as possible. You don’t need to wait to see a doctor!"
At the moment, this is an option offered by government-favoured beacon general practices. (Full details here). Soon, the way things are going, for patients without private health insurance, it will not be an option. It will be compulsory. The art of family medicine is sifting the chuff from the chaff. It took me twelve years to acquire the requisite skills. I must be stupid. It seems nurses can do it in three years with a top up seven day course on “diagnostic skills.”
You have to ask yourself, if your child is ill, do you want him assessed by doctor or a nurse? And don’t think it is any better if you take him to a hospital. Hospital paediatricians are being replaced by “health care practitioners” and... er... traffic lights. Really!
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