The 31 day rule : cancer games
on Jan 2, 2009 in tractor production Stalinism TWR NHS bureaucracy 31 day rule Yesterday, a pleasant New Year’s Day lunch with David, an old friend who is an eminent oncologist. David’s wife is a psychiatrist. Mrs C is, of course, a breast radiologist and is currently the lead clinician in her breast unit. After the teenag...

It's bloody awful being a patient...
on Jan 2, 2009 in get our nurses back to nursing NHS bureaucracy target culture A reader gives me another excuse to show my favourite video by pointing out a newspaper article written by Dr Sarah McMahon, a pseudonymous junior hospital doctor.  It's an article telling of nursing care as it should be, as it used to be but now ra

The Last Post
on Dec 31, 2008 in get our nurses back to nursing New Labour micromanagment destruction of the NHS Brigadier John Platt (ret'd)I am grateful to two readers for drawing my attention to two news stories, both published today, which sadly epitomise the state of the NHS after nearly twelve years of Labour micro-management."A dying 101-year-old wa

Happy New Year from the medical Gulag
on Dec 31, 2008 in Ben Bradshaw Fishgoth Dame Liz Fradd Simon Fradd Baconshit show trials Hypocrisy Dr Grumble, the Jobbing Doctor & Dr CrippenThe year reaches its end with the news that Ben Bradshaw, that embodiment of over-promoted political mediocrity, is to nationalise Neil Bacon. Bacon, you will recall, is the egregious little shit who has.

Tonsillectomy : another reason to pause
on Dec 30, 2008 in Tonsillectomy unnecessary surgery stress velopharyngeal insufficiency clarinet adenoidectomy A phonecall this morning from a friend (not a patient) worried about her sixteen year old son. He is a clarinettist, an outstanding clarinettist, on track to go to one of the leading conservatoires and progress to a career as a professional musician.

A short break by the sea
on Dec 23, 2008 in Daily Express competition And now for a short interlude. Posting will be light or non-existent for the next few days. A festive seaside Christmas. We (some thirty of us) have taken occupancy of the above. But where is it? Weather willing, I shall be up early, walking the coa...

Let us not forget the children who have been sexually abused
on Dec 23, 2008 in paedophilia homophobia Ratzinger criminals the Pope Click here for Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of this Panorama documentary+++++++++People who sexually abuse children need to be locked up. People who have been convicted of sexually abusing children should not be given a public platform. Once they have s...