Hospital doctor's role in the Health of the Nation

BMJ 1995;310:889 (8 April)

Editorials

Hospital doctor's role in the Health of the Nation

To recommend an apple, a condom, and a snapped cigarette

Last month England's chief medical officer launched an importantnew initiative aimed directly at hospital doctors, which recognisesfor the first time their important and wide ranging role inimplementing the targets set out in the Health of the Nation.For too long hospital doctors have been regarded as fulfillingonly a specialist role in service and education, yet hospitalconsultants often have wide access to patients and their familiesand friends. Junior hospital doctors also have great opportunitiesto advise on lifestyle, diet, smoking, and so on--which in thelong run could prove more valuable than the drugs that theywrite up for patients at discharge. The chief medical officerreminds us in his launch message: "Effective health promotionby the medical profession is vital if patients are to benefitfully from the health improvements outlined in Health of . . . [Full text of this article]