Summary
18 November 2009
A leading hospital manager in the UK has strongly criticised the way that doctors and nurses are portrayed in TV soap operas depicting life in the National Health Service.
Reporter:
Adam Brimelow
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Antony Sumara is a renowned NHS troubleshooter. He took over at Mid-Staffordshire earlier this year after the health service regulator exposed appalling failings in care. He's now working with patients' groups and staff to rebuild trust. But he's exasperated over the way health workers are portrayed in programmes like Holby City and Casualty. In an article for the 大象传媒 website Scrubbing Up series, he says staff are shown regularly flirting and gossiping while treating patients; eating, drinking and smoking while on duty; and failing to promote good hygiene.
He acknowledges that viewers aren't naive and can separate fact from fiction, but he says these programmes should reflect a real hospital rather than what he calls a 'very blurred reality'.
In response the 大象传媒 says the programme makers consult medical experts and take great care to portray medical issues responsibly.
Adam Brimelow, 大象传媒 News
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Vocabulary
- renowned NHS troubleshooter
very well-known person who solves problems in the National Health Service (public health care facilities)
- exposed appalling failings in care
found or uncovered very bad behaviour and practices of hospitals and clinics and other places where doctors or nurses work
- exasperated
very frustrated
- flirting and gossiping
If you flirt, you chat in a way that makes someone think you like them in a romantic or sexual way. If you gossip, you chat about people's private or personal lives
- promote good hygiene
encourage people to keep themselves and their surroundings clean to help stop diseases from spreading
- naive
ignorant, stupid or not able to understand
- separate fact from fiction
tell the difference between what is based on reality and what is invented or imaginary
- reflect
show
- blurred reality
(here, TV shows) that have elements of real life along with fantasy, drama or fiction. It can be difficult for some people to know what is factual and what is not in these TV shows
- take great care to portray
are very careful about showing
