I admit a sick kid

I have always said that GPs are very good at things they see every day. This is because in this way they learn what normal looks like, and any deviation from the normal is quickly spotted.

As was the case today with a year old babe who was grey of face, noisy of chest and, most worryingly, decidedly lethargic in presentation. I had no hesitation in admitting the child for observation. Hopefully they will let it go quickly, perhaps in less than a day if they are happy with its condition on the ward. But you can't be too careful. Fatal meningitis often presents in just this way.

Later I saw one of my "favourites" (live with it: all GPs have them)for his 4th session of acupuncture for his tennis elbow. I have no idea how it works, despite the elegant explanations offered by the traditionalists. But on an empirical level it does, and best of all I have never made anyone worse with it, which is more than I can
say for all the drugs I prescribe, many of which have made patients worse, and a few have died as a direct result. So when I say to them "the worst thing likely to come of this treatment is that you won't get any better" that is a very big thing.