‘First Do No Harm’ is a series of twelve brief monthly articles with internet footnotes about harming and healing in general practice. Each instalment is based on one of the 12 RCGP competency domains, this month's being:
9. Community orientation: the management of the health and social care of the practice population and local community.1
‘All diseases of high incidence may be said to have a “social” as well as an “individual” pathology.’’2
INTRODUCTION
GPs are on firmest scientific and ethical grounds responding to symptoms brought to us by patients;3 we're on shakier ground when it comes to biomedical …