Television has taken over our lives to such an extent that for many it has become the primary focus for our understanding of the world.

The influence of television was underlined this week when Stanmore GP Dr Chaad Nagpaul criticised the drama series Peak Practice for giving a false impression that GPs were the first line in emergency services.

Dr Nagpaul, who has a surgery in Honeypot Lane, spoke during a discussion on the unrealistic portrayal of medical profession at the British Medical Association conference on Tuesday.

"In one episode a man collapsed in the street and neighbours called the GP instead of dialling 999 for an ambulance," he said. "This is an issue of real importance. In real life that could cause a serious delay. The GP service is not designed to provide emergency treatment in life-threatening emergencies."

Outside the major soaps, Britain's most popular TV dramas tend to centre on one or more of the emergency services. Senior officers in Harrow police have privately expressed their worry at the amount of detailed information on police procedure shown on The Bill. Accurate depictions of how the police deal with witnesses and informants have prompted concern that the programme allows potential criminals too much knowledge of the legal system.

Their fears are understandable, but if information such as police operational procedure is in the public domain, it would be a far greater evil to suppress its details. Programme-makers have the responsibility of ensuring that the working practices of police are portrayed in a sensible and realistic manner.

In the case of The Bill, we have been afforded a greater understanding of the pressures and dilemmas with which officers have to contend in the course of their duty (although the half-hour format of the show makes police work appear more straightforward than it really is).

By contrast, the makers of Peak Practice seem more intent on using their characters' profession as a dramatic backdrop to their personal lives, with attention to factual detail a second priority.

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