DOCTORS' PAY Sill.—I was interested to read the letter from
Angry Old Practitioner giving his view of the changing face of General Practice. I thought he gave a fair and moderate account of the picture as he sees it. How- ever,- another aspect of. general practice altogether is seen by the unestablished and unattached doctor— the 'assistant' of Angry Old, Practitioner's letter.
Since being trained in general practice I have been : (a) Employed by a hysterical woman as an `assis- tant-with-view' for three months. At the end of that time I left, for the intended partner had arrived : I found that his entry into the practice was planned before I first met the principal, and I had been a stop-gap.
(h) Employed by a failing doctor to help him run his failing practice. It made me sad to see their fine home threatened, and sadder still to try to run a car and keep my wife and family on the salary he offered. After three months there 1.1eft with a 'patch on the lung.'
(c) Employed—after four weeks' unemployment— since a year ago in my present post as assistant-with- view by an old doctor and his young partner. In this time I have been content, though hot with the efforts of my principals, who encouraged me to'buy a large house, to buy practice instruments for which they do not pay, and who are now shilly-shallying about the 'view' to partnership, which has been deferred twelve months beyond the agreed time.
Do not think, Sir, that this sort of thing is un- usual; it is common enough, and has encouraged several of my year at College to try their chance overseas already. Even it would be bearable, how- ever, were one able to do good medicine here, but economic pressures force established doctors to keep large lists, with the consequent full surgeries, hurried work and lowered standards.
It certainly makes one think seriously of following Angry Old Practitioner's late assistant to the An- tipodes.—Yours faithfully,
SAD YOUNG PRACTITIONER
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