Thanks Keith.
Pretty hard to ignore the evidence of my own eyes.

I ended up here by accident because a biology teacher told me I should study medicine.

I came from a single parent family - my father had schizophrenia and killed himself and my mother had mental health problems.

In the enlightened times of the late 80s I got into medicine after c, and 2 e predictions for A level but with a very supporting letter from school, on a 3 c offer and with a full grant to support me thereafter.

I can categorically state that there would have been no place or career for me in medicine in the 21st century.

I'm massively privileged, understand that my vocation is a glorious socialist enterprise, Illich's 'medical nemesis' notwithstanding, and try my best despite the compromise of working in an increasingly financialised system. I met a plastic surgeon I was at medical school with last week. He can make 30k from a single private operation and was exorting me to take up private practice.

Bevan was asked how he was going to persuade private doctors to work for a public service.....'I'll stuff their mouths with gold' the answer. Pretty sure the 35% real terms paycut doctors have experienced since 2010 is targetted to facilitate the reverse.

I'll hold out until I'm 67 and then like Boxer they can boil me for glue.

Cheers,
dan