Breaking News! Surgeon uses Telephone

In a bold - and some are saying unprecedented - move, Mr Genius, surgeon at Addenbrookes Hospital today phoned a patient himself.

Traditionally, senior medical staff have resisted methods of communication that involve direct contact with their patients, but for some time, our correspondent has been hearing shocking stories of these senior staff bypassing secretaries to use the telephone and even email to aid them in their work.

Always considered a radical, the controversial Mr Genius broke away from the medical status-quo this afternoon, ignoring warnings from colleagues that over-familiarity with patients would be the first step on a damaging path to equality.

This is not the first scandal to surround Mr Genius. Some years ago it was claimed he actually spoke to his patients as though they were equals, raising a storm of protest and outrage from consultants and surgeons worldwide.

A defiant Mr Genius told our correspondent "I am determined to keep pushing the boundaries of patient care. Technology has evolved and so must we. In the new year, I'm even planning to implement a totally new medical concept to improve outcomes. I call it listening."