On learning to say 'sorry' and other strategies for quality improvement

Abstract

Stephen Bolsin provides us with a timely opportunity to question and review the role of organised medicine inself-regulating professional standards. His paper stands in stark contrast to recent applications by twoorganisations representing surgeons and consultant specialists to become registered trade unions (Foley, 2001).While those applications represent only a minority of the medical profession (and are largely designed as vehiclesto campaign against efforts to eliminate unexpected bills for private patients and in an effort to combat theAustralian Competition and Consumer Commission), they raise obvious questions about the future oforganised medicine and its status as a 'profession'.