Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood warns against ‘over-treatment’

Doctors should involve their patients more in decision making over their treatments, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood has suggested.

In her first annual report as CMO, Calderwood says the fact people are living longer with more complex conditions has led to over-treatment, as doctors seek to relieve short-term discomfort.

Instead, by involving patients more, clinicians should focus more on long-term health than short-term relief, she recommends.

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“It’s an interesting fact that doctors tend to choose fewer treatments for themselves than they offer to their patients.

“As doctors we should be asking why that is, and whether patients – if better informed – might also choose less intensive and less medicated treatment regimes. A person may achieve a greater quality of their life if less is done - fewer treatments, more targeted medication,” she said.

Calderwood hopes the report, ‘Realistic Medicine’, will lead to an open conversation within the medical profession about how they see the future of the health service.

“In these challenging times I want to hear from them how we can best practice medicine in NHS Scotland and beyond- how to innovate, ask questions about variation in practice and outcomes, reduce waste and act differently to improve care,” she said.

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh welcomed the report. President Professor Derek Bell said the College was committed to a greater focus on wellbeing and prevention.

“We particularly endorse the proposals to avoid over-treatment and excessive prescribing, while increasing attempts to support individual and population lifestyle changes,” he said.