Doctor politicians: stick to the evidence

How do you move from activism to action, from words on a page to improving people’s lives? I recently asked a former national chief medical officer about his greatest regret in office. This is a doctor committed to investing in health and wellbeing as a long term strategy for better prosperity and health outcomes. The answer was unequivocal: I’d stand for parliament, he said.That simple statement captured much of the frustration of health professionals. They see the answers to a health service’s woes, they throw themselves into activism and lobbying, they contribute to manifestos, statements, and open letters (doi:10.1136/bmj.q1361), and they even vent in medical journals about prevention (doi:10.1136/bmj.q1388) and social care (doi:10.1136/bmj.q1386), but making change happen is a political process.[1-3] At least 31 doctors seek to take the step from clinician to politician in the UK’s general election on 4 July (doi:10.1136/bmj.q1357).[4]The range of aspiring politicians covers the leading…
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