News bites: Medical life

Doctors do more good than harm says report Contrary to a widespread belief that doctors do more harm than good - borne out by declines in mortality during doctors' strikes - a new study shows that doctors actually do save people's lives. One additional primary care doctor in an area can lower mortality by about 2%. The authors say that their results indicate that increasing resources for primary care may be one way to help offset the effects of disadvantage on health and that primary care can help reduce socioeconomic disparities (Social Science & Medicine 2005;61:65-75).

Rich countries should end their reliance on overseas doctors - The BMA has warned that people in the developing world are dying because healthcare workers are being recruited to work in richer countries. In a statement issued jointly with the Royal College of Nurses and international partner organisations it calls for rich countries to adopt ethical recruitment policies and to help the developing world to retain more doctors (www.bma.org.uk).

End to Mr and Miss - The days of Mr and Miss as titles for surgeons may be numbered for English surgeons. After almost a century and a half of using the titles, they may revert to Dr instead. Writing about the public consultation over plans for the introduction of non-medically qualified surgical care practitioners, Hugh Phillips, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, says that it is important that patients know who is who (Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 2005;87(suppl):S153).

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Surgeons ponder the best and correct form
of address befitting their dignity