Medical gifts

Feb 4 2008

Washing up liquid, tights, a hamster and replicas of the Taj Mahal are just some of the more unusual gifts given to doctors by grateful patients, according to a survey.

In the last year, 76% of doctors were given chocolates or other foodstuffs while 66% were handed bottles of booze.

Among the more strange gifts were artworks, vintage champagne, hand-embroidered cloths and poems of thanks - and the poll of 511 doctors, for the Medical Defence Union (MDU), also revealed that one doctor was given an ashtray.