Saving paper
Sir: The NHS Executive Advance Letter (MD)6/95 on consultants' discretionary points, issued on 4 August 1995, states: 'In deciding payments, employing bodies should ensure that consultants are treated equally regardless of their colour, race, sex, religion, politics, marital status, sexual ori- entation, membership or non-membership of trade unions or associations, ethnic ori- gin, age or disability.'
Four years ago, such a list would have contained no more than a maximum of three categories of protected equality, and I venture to suggest that by the year 2000 this list will be at least a page long. May I pro- pose a formula to save a great deal of paper? 'All applicants will be treated equal- ly for all characteristics that are politically correct at the date on which this circular applies.' Note that the politically incorrect minorities are carefully excluded from the NHS list, e.g., smokers and contributors to The Spectator.
Roger Dyson
Director, Clinical Management Unit, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire
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