Darzi's five pledges

In his reassuring way Lord Darzi made five pledges in his report Leading Local Change. Here they are:

• Change will always be for patients’ benefit in terms of quality of care
• Change will be clinically driven
• All change will be locally led
• People affected by proposed NHS changes will have a chance to comment, and
• Existing services will not be withdrawn until new, better services are available.

The pledges are, indeed, reassuring. No need to worry then. No need to worry that things might be steamrollered through without being driven by clinical need. No need to worry that the changes might be detrimental to patient care. No need to worry that these changes might be forced through without anybody having a chance to comment. So everything is all right. Lord Darzi can be trusted. After all he's a doctor. Partly anyway.

But wait. What is this in the BMJ? It's a letter from a GP who seems to think Lord Darzi has reneged on his promises. Surely not? Not a dishonest doctor. It can't be. Or is he no longer really a doctor?

With apologies to those, like Dr Grumble himself, who cannot read the full BMJ article because they have resigned from the BMA over their inability to look after our profession.