National Ill Health Service

It used to be that British politicians claimed that  their NHS was the best in the world, but drastic cuts in the service has led to less boasting about it. 'A shortage of doctors in Scotland threatens to have "dangerous consequences" for the health of patients, one of the country's most senior medics said this weekend. The warning by Dr John Gillies, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Scotland comes amid fresh research suggesting that one in four Scots is unable to obtain an appointment with their GP within a week' (Sunday Times, 2 November) The report goes on to report that one in 10 of these patients abandons their efforts to seek medical advice, prompting concern that serious illnesses and potential life-threatening underlying health problems are being missed. Hardly a service worth boasting about is it? RD