Those barbed remarks can hurt much more than direct insults because the person on the receiving end usually feels insecure about taking offence. And unfortunately, much as she would probably like to be filled with the milk of human kindness, she's got herself involved in a power struggle and feels hateful instead.Sofia is intuitively right that her mother-in-law feels prickly and hostile towards her at some level. But what use is it to Sofia? The truth is that Sofia does not feel grateful. The ungrateful hussy! Who's the lucky one, not only having two children and a job, but also an unpaid grannie coming round three days a week to help! She should feel grateful, not resentful. Thus runs the indignant gut reaction. Sofia resents the frequent calls her husband makes to her - and having to lunch with her every other weekend. She's getting so irritated she's considering paying a baby-minder instead. But not only does she expect tea and chat when Sofia comes home, she makes barbed personal remarks about the state of her kitchen, rearranges things and cooks unwanted meals.

This week's problem: while Sofia works part-time, her mother-in- law cares for her two small children. "I'm going to tie yellow ribbons round the trees," she said.Dr Pilsworth is keeping mum His barrister has advised him not to talk to the press. But he says the odd word to his patients and they relay his exact phrases back to each other. To them, it seems, Dr Pilsworth is a local hero - a local hero they'll do anything to win back.. "The GMC will not stick by its ruling when it discovers how strong his support network is," said Joan Coy, 45, mother of five. Mrs Westen, also on the front line, is already planning Dr Pilsworth's welcome- back party.

Past examples include a GP who admitted sexually assaulting a young woman, another GP who refused to visit two sick children - one of whom later died - and a doctor who prescribed slaps on the bottom to women with psycho- sexual problems.Indeed, despite the GMC's hard line over doctors who have sex with patients, Dr Pilsworth's supporters are optimistic about his chances of winning his appeal. And of these complaints, more than 95 per cent are rejected without investigation. These complaints have included allegations of a doctor mistakenly injecting a patient with a fatal drug overdose, failure to diagnose life-threatening conditions and sexual harassment.Of those who are struck off, nearly half can expect to be quietly reinstated. But only a tiny proportion of their mistakes and misdeeds ever reaches the GMC. "Why doesn't the GMC focus its attention on violent or incompetent doctors rather than doctors who commit adultery?" asked one aggravated woman.Such concern was echoed earlier this year by the sociologist Marilynn Rosenthal, author of The Incompetent Doctor.