Scapegoats

So rumour has it that Prof Crockard, captain of the not-so-good ship MMC, has resigned. This is as yet unconfirmed, but it got me thinking about the state of this sorry mess.

This has all come about as calls for Prof Crockard to be hauled in front of the GMC have increased. A letter has been sent to the Council (it even made this morning's Telegraph) citing failures in management and professionalism, among others.

There seems little doubt that as head of MMC, Prof Crockard is well-placed to be the fall-guy for this fiasco. The MTAS issue has really brought this to light, and with the BMA Junior Doctors Committee walking out of the review talks, the pressure is really on the entire system of Modernising Medical Careers.

But is it right? Yes, the system is a mess. Yes, it fails to provide doctors with a fair application process, acceptable standard of training and decent career pathway. But to single one man out is perhaps not the way to do it. My humble opinion is that it is the Chief Medical Officer who really needs to talk a look at himself. He continues to pander to the whim of the government, and I fail to see how his suggestions of reform can be any good for patients or doctors. Instead, doctors are reduced to working under constant restraint, not wanting to take risks or pioneer controversial improvements, for fear of losing their careers. Whilst paramedics/nurses/pharmacists increase their provision of independently prescribed medicines, regulation of doctors tightens to further strangle their clinical autonomy.

I don't understand why people can't be up front with their intentions. The CMOs report "Good doctors" is no more about creating good doctors than "Creating an Interprofessional Workforce" is about interprofessional collaboration. The latter I shall rant about at a later date, needless to say it should be called "creating a generic, underskilled practitioner". In the same vein, "Good doctors" appears to be more about "controlled doctors" which fits very nicely with the inflexible, deskilling MMC process.

And so perhaps it is not Prof Crockard that should take all the flak for this mess. Some, for sure, but just maybe there are others who should shoulder the burden. And don't get me started on the politicians...