CLIVE SMITH: Cartoon pig accused of piling pressure on GPs

First it was Fireman Sam coming under fire. Now another kids' favourite, Peppa Pig, is facing quite ridiculous accusations.
Peppa Pig- accused of wasting GPs' timePeppa Pig- accused of wasting GPs' time
Peppa Pig- accused of wasting GPs' time

This time Dr Catherine Bell has criticised the show saying it encourages patients to give their GPs’ surgeries too much work.

Apparently, it raises patient expectation and encourages inappropriate use of the primary care service and poor old Dr Brown Bear even got blamed for fuelling the rise of antibiotic resistance for his liberal offerings of medicine.

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I know this to be true. I remember when my youngest was three she looked at me with those inquisitive eyes that young kids have and commented on this exact misrepresentation.

Please, for God’s sake! It’s a cartoon for under-fives set in a world where animals talk to each other.

No-one. Not one single person has watched Peppa Pig and thought that is how it works down at the GP surgery. Who would confuse their GP with a cartoon bear?

There’s no condescending receptionist who thinks they’ve done the five years’ med school training; there’s no scene where Peppa’s dad phones for an appointment and the whole of that episode has him waiting on hold to then be told the next available appointment is in three weeks.

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And the next show is Daddy Pig Goes to the Doctor – an episode which is actually a three-parter because the first two involve him just sitting in the waiting room.

I’ve not seen him asked questions about alcohol consumption (which he lies about), smoking, drug use, told to drink more fluids, exercise more and then come back in two weeks if it’s still persisting.

Seriously, with all the problems there are in the health service, this is making headlines.

With how busy these workers are supposed to be I’m surprised they’ve got time to even watch it.

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Next, they’ll be calling out the show’s resident teacher, Madame Gazelle, for not depicting a true reflection of teachers.

Maybe they need an episode where she can’t get to school because of a dusting of snow and gets a couple of extra days Christmas shopping and Miss Rabbit has to use two days’ leave which she had planned to use over Christmas.

A TANGLED MESS OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SHOWS YOU CARE

There’s always an argument at this time of year about when is the right time to put up the decorations.

It doesn’t bother me when people put them up to be honest.

The big old Christmas inflatables seem to have been bobbing around people’s gardens for a few weeks and I’ve noticed this year people have started projecting Christmas images on to their houses. It all looks great.

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But I also like the lights too. The effort some people go to is great, especially when the whole street gets involved.

What I like more though are those who could not be bothered and simply threw a string of lights at their tree in the front garden. A beautiful tangled mess of lights is best.

MEN REALLY DO SUFFER MORE THAN WOMEN...

Many of us poor souls will be staring at our computer screens through bleary eyes, having to sooth our scratchy throats at the water cooler and annoying Sharon the admin girl with our sniffing all day.

See, not only is it the season to be jolly, it’s also the dreaded ’flu season – a time the men among us fear more than any other.

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It’s been joked about for years, well, joke no more. It’s a fact, men do get it worse than women.

Scientists have proved that infectious diseases have evolved to be more harmful to men than women.

For all those years when our cries for help have fallen on death ears, I hope you womenfolk feel guilty. Someone pass me the Lemsip please.

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