Physician, heal thyself

Feeling anxious? Stressed by your job? The good news is that the NHS is to recruit psychologists to work with GPs treating patients with depression, panic attacks and other mild mental illnesses. This is a useful innovation. The shrinks could, for instance, reassure the patient who is panicking over a six-month wait for an operation. But first in the queue may be those who are overworked, distrusted and with a propensity to drink and smoke too much. Nobody needs the listening cure more than the medical profession itself.

Feeling anxious? Stressed by your job? The good news is that the NHS is to recruit psychologists to work with GPs treating patients with depression, panic attacks and other mild mental illnesses. This is a useful innovation. The shrinks could, for instance, reassure the patient who is panicking over a six-month wait for an operation. But first in the queue may be those who are overworked, distrusted and with a propensity to drink and smoke too much. Nobody needs the listening cure more than the medical profession itself.