Australia’s ABC network discusses the idea (”Law group suggests legal action over late doctors”, Sept. 13) as do KevinMD’s commenters (Sept. 13). It’s not actually new, though: a Nevada patient filed an action in small claims court two years ago after having to wait three hours to see his doctor (see Aug. 1, 2003). That case, as a news search reveals, was settled when the doctor agreed to write a letter of apology and donate to charity (Joelle Babula, “Letter ends lawsuit, patient says”, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sept. 24, 2003)(other coverage in same paper).

