Think of the Consequences
NHSCA EDITORIAL September 2014 Think of the consequences This July, a passenger aircraft was shot down such clinics are usually staffed by GPs with a over Ukraine by a ground–to–air missile which, Special Interest (GPSIs), many of whom do not it seems likely, was provided to one of the fulfil the supposedly mandatory experience armed groups in the area by a third party. This and training criteria for such posts. David Eedy appalling event raises many issues, including points out that the use of these ‘community’ the immorality of the arms trade and the results clinics has never been shown to reduce hospital of interference in a neighbouring country’s waiting lists, they threaten to destabilise the territory and politics, and beyond this there are hospital service and they cost a lot more than the issues of unforeseen consequences. Those hospital clinics. The service thus provided is operating this complex modern equipment not acting as a useful filter to reduce hospital almost certainly had no intention of annihilating referrals and causes only delay in reaching a true 298 innocent travellers, neither, presumably, specialist service. Further, we cannot ignore the did the providers think they might. It seems inevitable impact of this continued outsourcing likely that inadequate training, against a on education of students and trainees as the background of inexperience of such dangerous service is fragmented. At a recent public equipment, resulted in this disaster. Unforeseen, meeting a woman who had attended a local but not unforeseeable. private sector dermatology clinic told us that she could not fault the service - everyone was very Nearer to home, we are increasingly aware of professional and the surroundings pleasant - decisions about clinical services made by those except that they could not deal with her problem who know little about them, do not wish to look and she had to be referred on to the hospital.
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