The National Health Service is saved. That is the upshot of the doctors╒ second plebiscite. A majority of the profession are still against the terms of service. But the adverse majority has diminished so markedly since the February vote that the B.M.A. Council has decided to advise the doctors to co-operate. In February only 4,084 doctors said ╥Yes,╙ and only 2,500 of these were general practitioners and their assistants. This time the vote was 12,799 ╥Yes╙ and 13,891 ╥No,╙ and of the affirmative votes 8,639 came from doctors in general practice. It is generally reckoned that to make a start Mr. Bevan would need not fewer than eight thousand general practitioners in the service; he would be glad of many more. The first vote showed that he could not count on nearly enough. The second suggests that he could get enough to start with, even if the B.M.A. continued to oppose.
In these circumstances the Council of the B.M.A. has chosen wisely in advising the profession to co-operate in the new service. It is a courageous, as well as a prudent, decision.
It is important, first, that people should not expect a magical transformation on July 5; and, secondly, that they should not blame the doctors if at first things fall short of expectation. This is no occasion for triumphing over the doctors╒ change of attitude but rather for profound gratitude that the leaders of a great profession have found it possible to reconcile their sense of what is right with what most people outside the profession believe to be desirable. One must be grateful especially to those who, within and without the ranks of the B.M.A., have striven through what seemed at times almost hopeless estrangements to keep alive the spirit of compromise and co-operation. Blessed are the peacemakers.
