International Diary
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763 patients for the laser treatment. There was no indication that the committee made any such assumption, and it was clear that the committee confined itself to dealing with the proven conduct of the doctor in relation to the two patients. Appropriate Punishment It was submitted that erasure of Dr Frempong’s name from the register was excessive. By section 36 of the Medical Act 1983, the committee may direct suspension of a registration for a period not exceeding 12 months and it may direct that registration be conditional upon compliance for a period not exceeding 3 years with requirements specified by the committee. It was suggested that the appropriate course would be to allow Dr Frempong to continue to practise subject to certain limiting conditions. Lord Templeman said any such conditions would be difficult to draft and difficult or impossible to monitor. In any event, in the absence of any error of principle, the Privy Council would not interfere with a decision to strike off reached by the committee which is best qualified to determine whether the safety and protection of the public require the name of the doctor to be erased from the register. He pointed out that by section 41 of the Act the committee has power to restore the doctor to the register on application not earlier than 10 months from the date of erasure. If and when such application were made it would be for the committee to consider whether to exercise its power of restoration and, if so, whether to impose any conditions which it considered appropriate. The appeal was dismissed accordingly. Frempong v the GMC, July 2, 1984. Privy Council: Lord Bridge of Harwich, Lord Brandon of Oakbrook, and Lord Templeman. DIANA BRAHAMS, Barrister-at-Law International Diary 1984 llth world congress on Asthmology Interasma: Mexico City, USA, Oct 21-25 (Interasma/Clinicas de Alergia, Tlacotalpan, 109-301, 06760 Mexico City). 17th annual symposium on Toxicity Testing and Risk Assessment: Montreal, Canada, Dec 4-5 (Society of Toxicology of Canada, PO Box 517 Beaconsfield, Quebec H9W 5V1). 1985 2nd inter-American congress on Dermatological Therapy for the 21st Century: Caracas, Venezuela, Feb 9-11 (W. F. Chaveas, Executive Director, College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, USA). 8th annual Ain Shams Medical Congress : Cairo, Egypt, March 1-4 (Professor A. K. Khattab, General Coordinator, Ain Shams Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt). 5th international symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine: Brussels, Belgium, March 26-29 (Dr J. L. Vincent, Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels). International conference on AIDS: Atlanta, Georgia, April 15-17 (AIDS Conference, Building 1, Room 2047, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333). 6th international congress on Group Medicine: Dallas, Texas, April 21-24 (6th International Congress on Group Medicine, Medical Group Management Association, American College of Medical Group Administrators, 1355 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, Colorado 80222, USA). 3rd European workshop on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Medicine: Copenhagen, Denmark, April 24-27 (Dr S. B. Petersen, Department of Neurology 2082, State University Hospital, Rigshopitalet, Blegdamsveg 9, DK 2100 Copenhagen 0). 2nd international course on Peritoneal Dialysis : Venice, Italy, May 21-24 (Course Secretariat, Department of Nephrology, St Bortolo Hospital, 36100 Vicenza, Italy). International symposium on Metabolic Complications of Human Obesities : Marseille, France, May 30-June 1 (Miss Annick Gaubert, BP No 126, 27 rue du Pont, 92202 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France). Notes and News THE RESONANCE OF HEART DISEASE "CoUPLED with drugs under development that may halt-and possibly reverse-circulatory disease, the advance offers, for the first time, the potential to control the most destructive killer disease of the age...". So began a Press release issued last week by the heart charity CORDA to announce the purchase of a nuclear magnetic resonance scanner capable of displaying atheroma in coronary arteries. Those who examined this year’s British Medical Bulletin on NMR may be surprised that matters have moved so far since last April, when Prof R. E. Steinerl wrote: "Experience is still too limited to come to any definite conclusions as to the applicability of NMR studies of the heart in clinical practice". With a smattering of- "potentials" and "maybes", CORDA was suggesting that an NMR machine costing 1.1 million may represent part of the answer to prevention of’ ischaemic heart disease. Thanks to uncritical publicity-"Scanner May End Heart Deaths" said The Times- CORDA will doubtless recoup its 1.1 million in quick time. In heart disease, as in cancer, there is nothing like an expensive lump of machinery for raising hopes and donations. TARGETS TO CUT SMOKING THE Health Education Council has called on health authorities to set targets for a reduction in smoking. Over the next ten years, the council would like to see adult smoking fall from 36 to 20%, and smoking by school leavers fall from 27 to 15%. The HEC’s programme for 1984-85 lists smoking as its single most important area of activity. Its major theme will be smoking in the family, and advertising will be aimed at both parents and children. Women and teenage girls have been selected as another important target group. The council is planning to improve its cooperation with the National Health Service by consulting more widely in the preparation of its smoking education programme, supporting district smoking policies, offering grants for regional activities, and launching a major research-and-development project in one health region. The HEC has selected the period from January to March as its prime campaigning time and hopes the NHS will join in to help create an anti-smoking "season". The council’s chairman, Sir Brian Bailey, is dismayed that tobacco companies are still allowed to promote their products in a highly effective way through sponsorship of sporting and cultural events. The council, in its annual report,2 is calling for a ban on such promotions, in line with the ban on televised advertising for cigarettes. NHS HEALTH ADVISORY SERVICE THE NHS Health Advisory Service is free to comment on all aspects of NHS organisation, and it exists to maintain and improve the standards of management and organisation of patient-care services, primarily those dealing with the elderly and the mentally sick. To this end it undertakes visits, jointly with the social-work services of England and Wales, in response to requests from health authorities or from the DHSS. The programme for each visit is planned individually, and the aim is to discover existing policies and learn how they apply to the delivery of care. Members of the visiting team are selected from various health-care disciplines. Clearly a noble aim, but, as the annual report3 indicates, only 35 full visits can be contemplated each year, which means that an individual service can expect a major visit only once in 12-14 years. Additional urgent visits are arranged in response to locally perceived crises, and special surveys are undertaken. 1. Steiner RE. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the heart and mediastinum. Br Med Bull 1984; 40: 191-93. 2. Health Education Council annual report 1983-84. HEC, 78 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1AH. 3. NHS Health Advisory Service annual report. Sutherland House, 29-37 Brighton Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 2BR.
Transcript of International Diary
763
patients for the laser treatment. There was no indication that thecommittee made any such assumption, and it was clear that thecommittee confined itself to dealing with the proven conduct of thedoctor in relation to the two patients.
Appropriate Punishment .
It was submitted that erasure of Dr Frempong’s name from theregister was excessive. By section 36 of the Medical Act 1983, thecommittee may direct suspension of a registration for a period notexceeding 12 months and it may direct that registration beconditional upon compliance for a period not exceeding 3 years withrequirements specified by the committee. It was suggested that theappropriate course would be to allow Dr Frempong to continue topractise subject to certain limiting conditions. Lord Templemansaid any such conditions would be difficult to draft and difficult or
impossible to monitor. In any event, in the absence of any error ofprinciple, the Privy Council would not interfere with a decision tostrike off reached by the committee which is best qualified todetermine whether the safety and protection of the public requirethe name of the doctor to be erased from the register. He pointed outthat by section 41 of the Act the committee has power to restore thedoctor to the register on application not earlier than 10 months fromthe date of erasure. If and when such application were made it wouldbe for the committee to consider whether to exercise its power ofrestoration and, if so, whether to impose any conditions which itconsidered appropriate. The appeal was dismissed accordingly.Frempong v the GMC, July 2, 1984. Privy Council: Lord Bridge of
Harwich, Lord Brandon of Oakbrook, and Lord Templeman.DIANA BRAHAMS,Barrister-at-Law
International Diary1984
llth world congress on Asthmology Interasma: Mexico City, USA, Oct21-25 (Interasma/Clinicas de Alergia, Tlacotalpan, 109-301, 06760 MexicoCity).
17th annual symposium on Toxicity Testing and Risk Assessment:Montreal, Canada, Dec 4-5 (Society of Toxicology of Canada, PO Box 517Beaconsfield, Quebec H9W 5V1).
1985
2nd inter-American congress on Dermatological Therapy for the 21stCentury: Caracas, Venezuela, Feb 9-11 (W. F. Chaveas, Executive Director,College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia,Pennsylvania 19103, USA).8th annual Ain Shams Medical Congress : Cairo, Egypt, March 1-4
(Professor A. K. Khattab, General Coordinator, Ain Shams Faculty ofMedicine, Cairo, Egypt).
5th international symposium on Intensive Care and EmergencyMedicine: Brussels, Belgium, March 26-29 (Dr J. L. Vincent, Department ofIntensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, 1070Brussels).
International conference on AIDS: Atlanta, Georgia, April 15-17 (AIDSConference, Building 1, Room 2047, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta,Georgia 30333).
6th international congress on Group Medicine: Dallas, Texas, April21-24 (6th International Congress on Group Medicine, Medical GroupManagement Association, American College of Medical GroupAdministrators, 1355 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, Colorado80222, USA).
3rd European workshop on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Medicine:Copenhagen, Denmark, April 24-27 (Dr S. B. Petersen, Department ofNeurology 2082, State University Hospital, Rigshopitalet, Blegdamsveg 9,DK 2100 Copenhagen 0).
2nd international course on Peritoneal Dialysis : Venice, Italy, May21-24 (Course Secretariat, Department of Nephrology, St Bortolo Hospital,36100 Vicenza, Italy).International symposium on Metabolic Complications of Human
Obesities : Marseille, France, May 30-June 1 (Miss Annick Gaubert, BP No126, 27 rue du Pont, 92202 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France).
Notes and News
THE RESONANCE OF HEART DISEASE
"CoUPLED with drugs under development that may halt-andpossibly reverse-circulatory disease, the advance offers, for thefirst time, the potential to control the most destructive killer diseaseof the age...". So began a Press release issued last week by the heartcharity CORDA to announce the purchase of a nuclear magneticresonance scanner capable of displaying atheroma in coronaryarteries. Those who examined this year’s British Medical Bulletin onNMR may be surprised that matters have moved so far since lastApril, when Prof R. E. Steinerl wrote: "Experience is still toolimited to come to any definite conclusions as to the applicability ofNMR studies of the heart in clinical practice". With a smattering of-"potentials" and "maybes", CORDA was suggesting that an NMRmachine costing 1.1 million may represent part of the answer toprevention of’ ischaemic heart disease. Thanks to uncritical
publicity-"Scanner May End Heart Deaths" said The Times-CORDA will doubtless recoup its 1.1 million in quick time. Inheart disease, as in cancer, there is nothing like an expensive lump ofmachinery for raising hopes and donations.
TARGETS TO CUT SMOKING
THE Health Education Council has called on health authorities toset targets for a reduction in smoking. Over the next ten years, thecouncil would like to see adult smoking fall from 36 to 20%, andsmoking by school leavers fall from 27 to 15%.The HEC’s programme for 1984-85 lists smoking as its single
most important area of activity. Its major theme will be smoking inthe family, and advertising will be aimed at both parents andchildren. Women and teenage girls have been selected as anotherimportant target group.The council is planning to improve its cooperation with the
National Health Service by consulting more widely in the
preparation of its smoking education programme, supportingdistrict smoking policies, offering grants for regional activities, andlaunching a major research-and-development project in one healthregion. The HEC has selected the period from January to March asits prime campaigning time and hopes the NHS will join in to helpcreate an anti-smoking "season".The council’s chairman, Sir Brian Bailey, is dismayed that
tobacco companies are still allowed to promote their products in ahighly effective way through sponsorship of sporting and culturalevents. The council, in its annual report,2 is calling for a ban on suchpromotions, in line with the ban on televised advertising forcigarettes.
NHS HEALTH ADVISORY SERVICE
THE NHS Health Advisory Service is free to comment on allaspects of NHS organisation, and it exists to maintain and improvethe standards of management and organisation of patient-careservices, primarily those dealing with the elderly and the mentallysick. To this end it undertakes visits, jointly with the social-workservices of England and Wales, in response to requests from healthauthorities or from the DHSS. The programme for each visit is
planned individually, and the aim is to discover existing policies andlearn how they apply to the delivery of care. Members of the visitingteam are selected from various health-care disciplines.Clearly a noble aim, but, as the annual report3 indicates, only 35
full visits can be contemplated each year, which means that anindividual service can expect a major visit only once in 12-14 years.Additional urgent visits are arranged in response to locallyperceived crises, and special surveys are undertaken.
1. Steiner RE. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the heart and mediastinum. BrMed Bull 1984; 40: 191-93.
2. Health Education Council annual report 1983-84. HEC, 78 New Oxford Street,London WC1A 1AH.
3. NHS Health Advisory Service annual report. Sutherland House, 29-37 BrightonRoad, Sutton, Surrey SM1 2BR.
