Something of a first for me today. I was asked to sign a proxy vote application form, confirming that one of my patients could not physically attend a polling booth. I expect this is something my GP colleagues are well familiar with, but as a hospital consultant I had never seen one before, so I had a good read of the instructions.
At section 11 it states that the applicant who has difficulty in voting in person, by reason of long term illness or disability, requires the support of a medical professional. It then goes on to give a list of acceptable professions.
Naturally it lists doctors, nurses, dentists and opticians, but then turns surreal by including chiropractors. Yes, the form can be countersigned by someone who believes that all illnesses are due to (radiologically invisible) vertebral subluxations. Why chiropractors are singled out as the only quacks who can do this is not clear.
But it gets worse. The final “profession” on the list is christian science practitioner. How come they are the only looney cult singled out? There are hundreds of others, not to mention other far more popular and conventional religions.
I would love to have been at the meeting where this list was compiled.
I'll bet, as an amatuer patient form filler-inerer, you didnlt charge them for the service either did you? :-P Only mean nasty business types like us GPs do that :-x
ReplyDeleteI had to get a new passport recently and doctors are not on the list of people who can countersign it. Licensee of a public house is though, also a Salvation Army officer and a minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science).
ReplyDeleteYou can charge for it?
ReplyDelete