Bullying and banter

Vernon Needham

doi:10.3399/bjgp16X688093

I couldn’t help noticing the possibly unfortunate juxtaposition of these two editorials in your latest issue. While accepting that both childhood bullying and derogatory banter regarding general practice and psychiatry (the latter having existed for generations) are unacceptable, I can only guess the response from some of the more ‘aggressive’ secondary care specialties to these concurrent calls to right wrongs. In either circumstance, only strength from the aggrieved will be respected: victimhood will not win the day!

In respect of childhood bullying, any GP will of course respond appropriately to patient distress, but to make an expectation of GPs on this subject broadens their remit, yet further increases demands on them, and sets them up to fail; not what is needed in the current environment of low morale.

In respect of our secondary care colleagues’ ‘banter’, an invitation to spend 2–3 days of annual study leave shadowing a GP trainer in their practice should do the trick! A consultant gynaecological oncologist advised me some years ago that he was in awe of how GPs manage such diversity of demand. A specialist can, with justification, claim professional ignorance outside their speciality; a GP has no such luxury!

REFERENCES

1.
1. Scott EJ,
2. Dale J
(2016) Childhood bullying: implications for general practice. Br J Gen Pract doi:10.3399/bjgp16X687145, http://bjgp.org/content/66/651/504.
2.
1. Baker M,
2. Wessely S,
3. Openshaw D
(2016) Not such friendly banter? GPs and psychiatrists against the systematic denigration of their specialties. Br J Gen Pract doi:10.3399/bjgp16X687169, http://bjgp.org/content/66/651/508.