February 2004

The February issue of the Med-Chi website is devoted largely to the Bristol Health Services Plan. We make no excuse for giving this Plan prominence. It is, without doubt, the most ambitious, and potentially the most important, event to have "hit" the NHS in Bristol since 1948. The Plan contains a number of quite radical proposals which are attracting interest and support. However, there are many potential obstacles to full implementation. The Editors of the Med-Chi website intend to pursue a policy of constructive analysis and criticism. The web-site will be involved in four specific ways:-

We intend to publish a series of articles on various specific aspects of the Plan (e.g. Emergency Services).

We intend to publish a running analysis by using the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) headings. This analysis will be updated from time to time when new information becomes available and ideas become further crystallized. This issue of the website contains a "first shot" at an analysis.

The website team is closely involved with the meeting to be held on March 30th entitled The future of Bristol medicine. It is hoped to publish a summary of the principal contributions in the April issue of the website newsletter.

The website offers its "pages" to contributors who have useful things to say about the Bristol Health Services Plan. These will be posted in the "Your Say" section. This is a Bristol initiative and it is important that doctors and other professionals become involved in the debate NOW. As we point out elsewhere time is not on our side.

Meeting on Tuesday, March 30th. 6.30pm-8.30pm. at Kingdown Conference Centre:

Contributors include Sir Sandy Macara, Prof. Paul Dieppe, Mr. Goeff.Scaife, Mr Hugh Ross, Dr.Will Warin, Dr. Chris Salisbury, Prof. Derek Alderson and Dr John Pounsford. In addition to short presentations there will be a question/answer session.

Richard Langton Hewer

(Joint Editor)