In AD 1028 King Canute tried to command the tide to turn back. History records that the king of all lands surrounding the North Sea got very cross, wet, and made a hasty retreat. Every day, in general practices across the country, dedicated practice teams get very cross when they are yet again unsuccessful at meeting the daily demand for appointments and the incoming tide of patient demand and expectation.
Ron Neville, a partner in the Westgate Health Centre in Dundee joins us to discuss what his new appointment system learned from the soggy monarch.
http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g7228
