A New Kind of Doctor

Many allies and opponents, some now dead, have contributed to ideas developed over the past forty years, and finally expressed here. I am particularly indebted to Hazel Ackery, Dr Henry Blaker, Prof. Archie Cochrane, Drs John and Jean Coope, Dr Alastair Donald, Prof. Michael Drury, Dr Hugh Faulkner, Prof. Ron Frankenberg, Dr John and Julie Frey, Dr John Fry, Dr Hugh Gainsborough, Dr Kate Gardner, Sir George Godber, Dr Steve Iliffe, Tal Jones, Dr John Horder, Prof. Harry Keen, Dr Bruce Lervy, Dr Irvine Loudon, Prof. Jerry Morris, Dr Guy Mouyen, Bert Pearce, Dr Dennis Pereira Gray, Annie and Trevor Powell, Dr Hugh Price, Prof. Geoffrey Rose, Dr Reg Saxton, Dr Conrad Seipp, Dr Cyril Taylor, Prof. Milton Terns, Prof. Sir Peter Tizard, Dr Cuys Van den Dool, and Dr Alastair and Olive Wilson.

I have had generous and loyal support from Dr Tom. Meade at the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Unit at the Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park since 1973, and from my own practice and research staff, notably Betty Ackery, Mair Boast, Anita Davies, Dr Ann Delahunty, Susie Dixon, Cath Edwards, Prof. Andy Haines, Dr Adrian Hastings, Dr Cerys Humphreys, Janet Jones, Margaret Jones, Dr Alex Mills, Dr John Robson, Dr Ian Scott, Jaqueline Sexton, Evelyn Thomas, Margaret Thomas, Dr Martin Walsh, Pam Walton, Dr Graham Watt, Dr Bob Williams, Dr Richard Williams and Dr Marek Wojciechowski. I am particularly grateful to my partner Dr Brian Gibbons, Dr Bryn John, and Joy Townsend for reading the final draft and giving helpful criticism. The librarians at the Royal College of General Practitioners and the BMA Nuffield library have taken trouble to find and photocopy references. Martin Eve at Merlin Press has been encouraging and tolerant through­out. Finally, my wife Mary has led our research team since 1973 with warm flexibility and strict professionalism, run a home, raised a family, and yet made time and space for me to write books; I hope this book will eventually be as effective as she is.