DOCTORS SICKENED BY BLAIR; Morale plunging says BMA chief.ANGRY doctors yesterday accused Tony Blair Noun 1. Tony Blair - British statesman who became prime minister in 1997 (born in 1953) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, Blair of alienating their profession and causing morale to plunge to an all-time low. Dr Ian Bogle bo·gle n. A hobgoblin; a bogey. [Scots bogill, perhaps ultimately from Welsh bwg, ghost, hobgoblin. , chairman of the British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is the trade union to which the vast majority of British doctors belong. It is based in Tavistock Square in central London. It owns the "British Medical Journal". , claimed Labour spin doctors were deliberately undermining medics. And he said he believed the policy was on the orders of "people above Health Secretary Frank Dobson This article is about the British politician. For the artist, see Frank Dobson (sculptor). Frank Gordon Dobson (born March 15, 1940) is a British politician and member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras, for Labour. ". Dr Bogle told the BMA's conference in Belfast that the speed of NHS NHS abbr. National Health Service NHS (in Britain) National Health Service reforms was "frightening" doctors. He also said lack of cash was leading to patients dying while waiting for treatment. Other doctors claimed the rationing of drugs and therapies was forcing them into practising "sub standard medicine". But Dr Bogle reserved his biggest attack for spin doctors, who he said were provoking suspicion among medics. He said reforms such as walk-in health clinics were being leaked to journalists before doctors were told about them. He added: "I found out about walk-in clinics when I picked up my paper and read an article quoting an un-named Government source. "Floating policy initiatives by feeding stories to friendly journalists appears to be the Government's preferred method of communication. "An administration that has turned media manipulation Media Manipulation is an aspect of public relations in which partisans create an image or argument that favours their particular interests. Such tactics may include the use of logical fallacies and propaganda techniques, and often involve the suppression of information or points of into an art form clearly favours spin doctoring and soundbites over consultation and discussion with those of us who will have to put its grand plans into action." He added: "We don't want spin with a grin. We don't want smile with guile. "We have perfectly good negotiating arrangements that would allow serious discussion of any proposals or initiatives. "Learning about them via the media is not only demoralising Adj. 1. demoralising - destructive of morale and self-reliance demoralizing, disheartening, dispiriting discouraging - depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence often deterring action; "where never is heard a discouraging word" , it leads, understandably, to suspicion and opposition." Dr Bogle said "meaningless targets" such as the drive to slash waiting lists, were adding to doctor's workloads and further eroding morale. He went on: "Congrat-ulations Mr Blair. You have managed to alienate the whole profession." At a press conference later, Dr Bogle was asked why he thought spin doctors were apparently briefing against doctors. He said: "It is an attempt to devalue the strength of the profession." Asked who he believed was behind the policy, he replied: "Most of the initiatives are coming from higher than Dobson." However, the Department of Health denied Mr Bogle's claims. A statement said: "Everything we have proposed has been introduced in consultation with the BMA BMA British Medical Association. . "We are making massive changes to the NHS and what we are seeing at the moment is the inevitable product of the difficulties of introducing change in any large organisation." |
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