Green Worship Collides With Nationalized Healthcare

The April 3, 2012 Daily Telegraph reports that a woman in Britain has been told by her primary care physician that she needs to find someplace closer to home, to reduce her carbon footprint:

Avril Mulcahy, 83, was told to address the “green travelling issues” over her journeys from her home in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, to the West Road Surgery. The surgery wrote to Mrs Mulcahy, telling her to register with a new GP within 28 days.

The letter said: “Our greatest concern is for your health and convenience but also taking into consideration green travelling issues. Re: Carbon footprints and winter weather conditions, we feel it would be advisable for patients to register at surgeries nearer to where they live.

"We would be very grateful if you could make the necessary arrangements to re-register at another practice.”

Now, the distance isn't huge--a two mile round trip--so Ms. Mulcahy thinks it was probably because she complained about a doctor that treated her.  She's probably right.  But what a marvelous excuse!