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Letters |
Opinion
10 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| May 2013
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
LETTERS
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‘The general air of
hostility, suspicion and
barely concealed
contempt usually starts
with the reception staff,
very often continues with
the GP and almost always
continues in the
pharmacy afterwards.’
UTOPIAN VIEWS
Much as I’m sure that Post-its columnist Dr
Steve Brinksman is an excellent and
committed GP, I can’t help feeling that many
of his observations about NHS primary
care are perhaps a little rose-tinted and
utopian. They certainly don’t bear much
resemblance to my own experiences.
In February’s column (page 7) he talks
about one of the privileges of being a GP
as ‘the opportunity to follow through the
“cradle to grave” ethos that the NHS was
founded on’, knowing his patients from a
young age onwards throughout their lives. I
can’t remember the last time I saw the
same GP twice at my practice. Perhaps
what he’s describing is normal in small
towns or predominantly rural communities,
but in inner city practices – such as the
one in Birmingham where he works – surely
this is the exception rather than the norm?
Then in the write-up of the service user
conference (
DDN
, March, page 8) he
describes general practice as an
environment that ‘aims to be’ non-
stigmatising. I’m glad he felt the need to
qualify that. I’ve no doubt that there are GP
practices that are like this, but it strikes
me that they must still be fairly few and far-
between. I’ve certainly never experienced
one. The general air of hostility, suspicion
and barely concealed contempt usually
starts with the reception staff, very often
continues with the GP and almost always
continues in the pharmacy afterwards.
I think the experiences detailed by
participants in the conference’s
Right to
treatment
workshop (
DDN
, March, page 10)
are probably much more representative of
general practice as a whole, with people
describing attitudes of ‘you’ve brought it on
yourself’ or how medical professionals hate
to have their opinions challenged.
I know the NHS is facing great challenges
in terms of funding and resources, and I
know its staff are often over-worked and over-
stressed. I also know that attitudes are
probably slowly improving. But I do think
we’ve got a very long way to go before most
people get to experience anything like what
Dr Brinksman describes at his own practice.
Name and address supplied
ELECTRO REVOLUTION
Professor Howard Parker acknowledges the
harm reduction benefits of e-cigarettes
(
DDN
, April, page 18), but also says they do
not have a scientific clean bill of health.
E-cigarettes deliver nicotine in aerosol
form without the hazards of tobacco
smoking. As nicotine has minimal health
impacts, they can dramatically reduce
harm to smokers. With the rapid growth of
the e-cigarette market, we are seeing a
consumer-led health revolution that
requires no NHS resources.
However, the UK government, along with
the US and others in Europe, is gearing up
to classify e-cigarettes as medicines, which
would bring heavy regulatory burdens,
costs and restrictions. It would be
appalling if, in the name of safety,
regulators smothered the e-cigarette
market in red tape, tipping the balance
back in favour of smoking cigarettes.
Gerry Stimson, emeritus professor,
Imperial College London
Professor Stimson will be writing about
e-cigarettes in the June issue of DDN.
CLOSE TO HOME
Your last issue touched on issues that are
very close to me. Going to prison for a drug
offence took me away from my children and
broke up our family (
DDN
, April, page 8).
My two children were taken into care and
my daughter still does not forgive me.
I attempted suicide twice and did
things I am very ashamed of. I still find it
hard to live with myself and my children
will never forgive me for the pain I made
them go through. I am not in touch with
their father any more.
I now volunteer as a women’s support
worker and it gave me some hope to learn
that the Prison Reform Trust are working
with these other organisations to make
sure that women who are not violent have
the chance of getting support to reform
and stay with their families. The only time I
was violent was to myself.
If I had had the support your authors
talked about, my life would be very different.
Name and address supplied