Arrogant, lazy, over paid and dishonest : the truth about doctors

Idle fat cat

There can be no doubt now that the government is mounting a concerted media attack on the medical profession.

The recent Gerry Robinson programme was presented as weak management’s failed attempt to control those arrogant, lazy consultants.

Now it is the turn of the GPs. The government portrays us as lazy, overpaid and dishonest. The article in today’s Independent pulls no punches.

Sick pay: Massive rise in GPs' salaries worsens NHS cash crisis. The average GP now earns £118,000 a year. This is a staggering rise of 63% in three years. And it gets better: instead of having to care for patients all day, every day, they are now just responsible during office hours (weekdays only). Is it any wonder the NHS is unwell?

Jeremy Laurance : The Independent

Family doctors are lining their pockets in an unprecedented bonanza as they take an increasing share of the NHS's extra billions while wards close and services are cut back.

Ministers have accused GPs of helping themselves to a bigger slice of the NHS cake under their contract introduced in 2004. Figures show the amount they pocket has increased from 40 per cent of the gross sum they are paid to run their practices to 45 per cent, leaving less for patients.

They are not passing on the full NHS funding increase to patients, at the same time as their workload has been reduced, ministers say.

The Government defended the contract and blamed GPs for taking more than their due. A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We invested extra funding in GP services in good faith to improve services and reward GPs. The money was not intended just to boost GPs' profits. (The Independent)

And this follows hard on the heels of an article in the Guardian which attracted some heartfelt comments such as:

GPs make virtually no clinical decisions. Their job is to act as gatekeepers on the medical service and refer patients to a real doctor. There is no reason why this should require an expensively trained professional and as this anecdote shows most of their job can be done by a competent clerical worker. (The Guardian : comments)

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I begin to lose the will to live as I wade through these two disingenuous pieces of journalism. I start to question myself. What a shitty lot we doctors must be.

If the general public believes all this, then I do not wish to do the job anymore.