Thread by @markroseman

For those who think "someone else" will step up to force politicians to do the right thing for our health system and for patients… forget it.

I keep hearing that doctors and other professionals should be counted on to take on this fight.

They can't. Here's why. 🧵

https://twitter.com/markroseman/status/1958514585612259836

1. Most doctors believe in science, evidence, reality, and doing what's objectively best to help people. That makes it hard for them to understand political behaviour, which is about opinion, power, and influence… not facts. Many can't comprehend some politicians' motivations.

2. Doctors are used to being the smartest people in the room. And they often are… in some areas. But when it comes to others, they're novices, and many don't realize it. You only have to look at negotiations between govt and doctors to see areas where doctors are outsmarted.

3. Doctors are risk adverse, which is good when your health is at stake. But also when their own careers are at risk. With the govt takeover of professional colleges, they know that speaking out puts their livelihoods at risk. And they've seen the consequences of speaking out.

4. What about as a group? They're represented by Doctors of BC, a "member funded society." One that gets 2/3 of its funding directly from government, not its members. Doctors who've stepped up to bring change have been marginalized. They've learned what DoBC's priorities are.

Make no mistake, with the resources available, our health system could work so much better.

It's failed for political reasons. And that failure has been covered up by deliberate failings in transparency and accountability.

If that's to change, it's up to us to force change.