ABSTRACT
The White Paper had the emotive title of Working for Patients, but the front cover referred to 'The Health Service', not 'The National Health Service (NHS).' On the 7 March 1989, Health Minister Mr. David Mellor criticised the British Medical Association's (BMA) opposition to the NHS, accusing it of behaving like 'Dr No'. In normal times there were good lines of communication between the Department of Health and the BMA, and indirectly with the Secretary of State and ministers. The Council of the BMA set up a special working party of the Executive, labelled by the media 'The BMA War Party', which met at least fortnightly. The Public Affairs Division arranged a conference of NHS consumers and patients' support groups that took place in BMA House on the 12 April. Pamela Taylor, the head of public affairs at the BMA, was interviewed by her own professional journal P. R. Week.
