Monk's moments: Too much of a good thing

As a hospital doctor, I can only imagine what goes on in general practice, particularly when a patient is being referred to a consultant. In Bedford, where I work, we are particularly fortunate in that GPs and hospital specialists tend to know each other, so I fondly imagine that when a GP is faced with a challenging rash, he says something along the lines of, ‘I’ll send you along to see my old friend Barry; he’s a bit of a grumpy old devil, but don’t take any notice because he’ll sort your skin out for you’.