16 January 2008

Dr Grumble

No harm has come to Dr Grumble but he did not feel safe continuing the blog and decided that his last post would be on the last day of 2007. All the old posts have now been removed.

Dr Grumble apologises to all those who apparently miss the blog and he thanks the many who contributed with their thoughtful comments.

19 comments:

David L. Cox said...

A shame to lose you. The profession - particularly the juniors at this trying time - need as much support and insight as possible and I for one believe that your blog offered it in abundance! I wish you well!

BenefitScroungingScum said...

What a shame to hear you feel so unsafe continuing this blog. I do hope you'll feel able to start up elsewhere, your voice is needed.
Best wishes Dr G, Bendy Girl x

heather said...

write it in german.

Anonymous said...

Is this a fresh start Dr G? Stay open and write, even it is just things that don't interfere with anything as these posts were also equally enjoyable to read.

Dr Grumble said...

Heidikraut, writing in German was one mistake I made. There are not many English doctors that write in German so that was one of many things that tended to identify me. And who but you would read it? But I would never have read your blog without luring you with some German. I've enjoyed seeing how you try to get rid of your German guests and the problems of the menu in, was it, Bremen?

Sam, I have thought of posting harmless things but one of the things I have learnt is that a blog needs a theme. Dr Grumble was very much a workplace blog. Clinical vignettes are difficult because of confidentiality issues and putting right the wrongs of the NHS are difficult because this can be viewed negatively by ones masters.

Anonymous said...

Dr Grumble - really sad to see you go - probably the most insightful medical writer on the web, you'll be missed. I'm also another who hopes you feel you can start up again under another name, and hopefully feel safe doing so.

Chris

Dr Grumble said...

Thanks, for the kind comment, Chris. What a tribute from the most insightful manager ever! Did you ever become a medical student?

And sorry for putting an S on your name!

Betty M said...

Sorry to see you go - I hadn't read you very long but I enjoyed what I did read. You were not quite so bitter and twisted as some of the other NHS bloggers and bitter and twisted can get so wearing. It felt like you were prepared to actually contribute to changes to make things better as opposed to just complaining. Looking forward to seeing if I can spot you starting up again in a new, unrecognisable to your colleagues, guise.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dr Grumble - I did indeed become a medical student - in my first year of graduate medicine at cambridge - really enjoying the course and just hope i can continue to do what i can to try and make sure i still have a profession to join when I graduate! I plan to keep an interest in medical management and politics throughout so I'll see what I can do to fight the good fight. Best wishes, C.

Dr Grumble said...

really enjoying the course
*****************
Enjoying the journey is the important thing though it would be nice if our profession can avoid being destroyed and there are jobs for you all. We need some really good medical managers with interests in the profession rather than themselves.

I hope things work out for you all.

Dr Xavier Ray said...

Good luck Dr G.
Our medical director walked staight up to me and asked me to put something on my blog. At that stage I still thought it was anonymous!
It depends on the atmosphere of your Trust. My trust is currently allowing us a bit of rope but is was different under an earlier regime. I'm even thinking of mentioning my blog on the CEA application this year just to see what happens. It also depends how close to retirement you are.

Anonymous said...

Just checking on you dr grumble. Aren't you feeling a little lonely after this self imposed exile away from fans and friends?

Dr Grumble said...

Yes. It's quite terrible abandoning all my fans but it had to be done. It was great being famous while it lasted - not that I was ever quite recognised in the street. Mrs Grumble and I now lead a quiet life well away from the stresses and strains of the blogosphere. And we still have a few friends.

Anonymous said...

Why do some people want 'life' to be quiet?!!!!

Mousie said...

What a shame. Your insights will be missed.

I wish you all the best.

Dr Andrew Brown said...

I too am sorry to see you go. Like the others I found your insights valuable, and all the more credible for the lack of bluster.

I think it is true that an organisation that cannot tolerate reasoned public criticism is in very deep trouble.

The confidentiality of patient vignettes worries me too, but I'm finding that I can now get enough material from just a small aspect of a consultation or situation. And of course, the blog is really about me me me! Only one partner and the Practice Manager know about it, though. :-)

Blogging is hard work and time consuming, so it's not surprising that medical bloggers need breaks from time to time. I hope that the atmosphere in your Trust (what a weasel word!) may change at some point in the future to allow you to return.

À la prochaine...

AB

PhD scientist said...

Second all that is on here, Dr G - your insight and considered view will be greatly missed. Still think you should take my advice and self-publish your "Greatest Hits" as a book that I could recommend to the students!

Glad to hear Chris E is enjoying the Cambridge course. Teaching on a grad entry course is something many of us academic lifers teaching the entry-at-18 lots dream of.

I am still saddened, though not surprised, at the idea that the non-ranting Grumble wisdom could have possibly got you into strife. The system is in real trouble if that is the rule for critics.

What's the proverb auf Deutsch?

"Besser treue Feind als falsche Freund" ...? Or something like that? (Corrections gratefully received)

If the system starts regarding clear-eyed but loyal critics as enemies rather than friends then it really is in trouble.

Anyway, enjoy the quiet life.

Dr Grumble said...

Thank you, PhD Scientist, for your kind comments. I did try to make my posts considered rather than shoot from the hip. One thing that helped with this was the unusually high quality of the comments on the Grumble blog. The one I really had to look out for was Potentilla. She would always spot any weaknesses in an argument. Once I cut and pasted from what appeared to be a well reasoned argument I found elsewhere. But it wasn't up to the usual Grumble standard and Potentilla rightly tore it to shreds. Sadly she often wasn't well enough to post. But I always knew that she might be there and that I needed to be sure of my ground in case she was. As you know she is now in a hospice and the best we can hope for is that she is made comfortable. Very sad.

PhD scientist said...

Agreed about Potentilla, Dr G, she did the same for me. I used to look forward to reading her comments and will miss having her around the Blogosphere to correct my lazier generalisations. A great shame. Let's hope the palliative care people are on the job, but still small comfort.