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Five minutes with . . . Charlie Auld

BMJ 2017; 359 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5220 (Published 14 November 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;359:j5220

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Re: Five minutes with . . . Charlie Auld

The only reason for the existence of Surgical Care Practitioners (SCP) is that there is a shortage of doctors This is just one more example of tasks that should be performed by doctors being given over to non-medically qualified personnel. I am not saying it should not be done - necessity decides everything. But this is just another instance of slipping standards. How can SCPs work to the same standard as surgical trainees?

Competing interests: No competing interests

29 November 2017
Arthur E.J. van Langenberg
consultant surgeon
Canossa Hospital, Hong Kong
604 Lansing House, 41 Queen's Road Hong Kong