Shouting the odds

Sir, I am surprised at Dr Horton’s outburst against the robust response of Dr Buckman (who speaks for the BMA, it should be pointed out, not for himself) (letter, Feb 5).

Being polite gets one nowhere. Trying to make things work by co-operation has led to the MTAS fiasco, the financial scandal of PFI, a crisis in secondary care caused by the mismatch between what primary care trusts can pay and what hospitals need to survive, and a creaking, if not failing, IT programme that has dehumanised, de-personalised and de-professionalised medicine.

As president of an organisation whose members look after people with chronic diseases I have, in two years (despite numerous requests), had not the courtesy of one meeting with any minister or civil servant to discuss some of the very serious concerns we have over the direction of medical care. If the only way to get dialogue with a shouting, blustering Government is to do the same then I am all for it.