The leader of Britain's doctors has called on medics to realise that a cornerstone of their work is to earn the respect of their patients.

Dr Sandy Macara, chairman of the British Medical Association Council, was speaking in the wake of the inquiry into the deaths of 29 babies at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and new government moves to increase regulation within medicine.

Dr Sandy Macara: 'doctors must earn respect.'

Asked what would be the single biggest change he would like to see in the NHS as it approaches its 50th anniversary, Dr Macara said: "That doctors would realise the extent of their responsibility to command trust, not blind trust, but to inspire trust because they demonstrate that they are always doing their best and know their own limitations. If they cannot do something, they will bring in a colleague who can.

"The BMA is not in the business of defending or protecting bad doctors. In fact, we would prefer to get rid of them."

Trust has declined

Joyce Robbins, of the Patient's Association, said 'absolute trust' in doctors had declined over the last 25 years, and that was probably a good thing.

"In some cases doctors have brought this upon themselves by closing rank when there is a problem," she said.

Dr Macara said: "The recognition that doctors are human, that they do not always manage to do what we train them to do is, in a way, a healthy thing because it makes us realise that we in the medical profession have to try to work harder."

Dr Macara said the profession was already trying to overcome public suspicion that doctors closed ranks.

Management conflict

"We need a complete culture change. Mind you, when it seems to patients that doctors are closing ranks, the real situation is that they have not agreed among themselves about the management of a case, or because they are in a conflict with management,' he said.

However, he warned against a witch hunt against doctors.

"Increasingly there is a risk that doctors of all ages and stages will practise defensive medicine for fear, if they do make a mistake or something goes wrong, they will be crucified," he said.