If the goal of medicine is the promotion of health and treatment of disability, illness, and disease (let’s think of this as our lane?), then things are going to get complicated.
"One idea circulating was a character called Dr Brain, a seemingly mild GP who turned invisible in the sunlight ‘... along with all his appointments’, he quipped to parents’ polite laughter. Dr Brain might well be a good name for a children’s supervillain
'To find the Easter egg in a movie you often have to wade through the credits, which lengthen in proportion to the CGI special effects and lavish locations...' Some Easter reflections and highlights.
I reflect on the journey to (and from) the BJGP conference. Sometimes the writing is already there, and only needs a home. Sometimes it needs an invitation... Writers for (BJGP) Life, I look forward to hearing from you!
"I have often relied on John Driscroll’s three ‘Whats’ when giving feedback on BJGP Life submissions and undergraduate coursework: What happened? So what? What now? I invite you to keep these questions in your head as you survey our articles. How will
GPs have a duty to be well-informed about the issues regardless of whether we are conscientiously pro, anti, or neutral. We anticipate publishing many articles around this topic, and the specifics of the bill, and we welcome the opportunity to ensure primary
The primary goal of BJGP Life and BJGP Life &Times is to develop a BJGP community — a virtual agora, the forum of classical times that translates across time and space as the debating room, the public house, the workplace coffee room,
Kez has an embarrassing problem. He has tried a cream that maybe worked in the past but not now. He needs the doctor, he thinks. He rings the surgery...
"... our Life and Times section illustrates a community of practice that not only seeks to understand change but engage with it."
Last year we shared some party games. This year I'd like to share a concept for conversation. You could share it or leave it in the background of your psyche as the news and issues of the day mingle with the miscellanies
"This is the article where I pick out some seasonal reading that is modestly sized and modestly priced such that it might fit in the standard proverbial Christmas stocking ..."
Is holistic part of being good or just a part of being a GP? GPs work in a complex adaptive network interacting in many interconnected ways with wider society. Terms like ‘whole person’, ‘holistic’, and even ‘ecological’ may fail to completely grasp
"Our eclectic mix for this month ... addresses previous interesting times and how they inform the strange days we live in ... "
Primary healthcare's networked nature is manifest in the Life and Times section this issue. Andrew Papanikitas suggests that we all need the healing power of good connections.
The Wild West of medicine - a history for doctors’ feels like a more honest title for a book that makes interesting and informative reading.
The authors describe GPs as ‘street level bureaucrats in that we simultaneously enact the dictates of ‘tyrannical officialdom’ whilst addressing the needs of our clients. They offer a narrative account of the daily realities of British urban general practice and reflect on
"As I write this, the UK is having a general election. By the time you read this, a new government in the UK will hopefully be discovering that thinking about general practice in a meaningful way is a fundamentally good thing to
GPs have been called ‘gatekeepers’ to health care, because of our role in determining eligibility for medical treatment and social support. And yet we have long known that GPs do more than this. Our wall is not a line but an indistinct
Misselbrook masterfully uses the tools of philosophy to explain to us how we think the way we do, how we can think more clearly. In a political climate dominated by polarising and often poisonous rhetoric, bullshit-detection skills are the least of what
Andrew Papanikitas reviews and reflects on a good critical sourcebook on the law for GP trainers and trainees looking to flesh out a case-based discussion or tutorial, as well as for the GP looking for reading in response to a patient unmet
"Read the articles in this month’s Life and Times and try reflecting on them. Go on. I dare you ... "
The power of placebos is both a manual and a manifesto. It both a guide to the ethical use of placebos in healthcare, as well as placebos as a window into empathic, meaningful healthcare.
The Life and Time section is in fact bigger on the inside, as submissions air online and a selection are chosen for a print edition, conditional on (with apologies for the awful pun) space and theme. This month’s Life and Times focuses
Thinking about patients,’ is a classic text, first published in 2001, that applies sociology and psychology to medical practice. I first read it in 2011 while doing a PhD in medical education, and wondered how I had missed it.
There was a feeling that politicians and health service planners had failed to understand the nature of general practice and its purpose in relation to health. The articles in this month’s Life and Times address the nature and purpose of general practice
Notwithstanding the corny connection to a fictional character, and the 'old school' approach to confidentiality, this is a charming and authentic memoir. An anecdote is by definition an unpublished story - and Martin Stagg has converted his anecdotes into 'ecdotes.'
Whilst medicine exists as social science on a socio-political level, it also has deep roots in interpersonal relationships. Medicine as social science is public and political, but it is personal too. In general practice this is widely understood and must not be
What is intensely likeable for me as a GP in his 40s is that The Health Fix also written by a GP in his 40s, with an engaging approach that blends clinical experience, medical evidence and personal history.
This issue’s life and times articles describe the failure of society and policymakers to value general practice. To value is to understand and appreciate both the beauty and appropriate uses of a thing. It also has a sense of quantitate weighing -
As 2024 dawns, on behalf of BJGP Life, I would like to thank all of our contributors, both regular and occasional. You have challenged, informed and supported us. To those thinking, 'Could I write a Life article?' please come in and have
"The extra mile is a problematic concept. If everyone goes the extra mile, do we lose sight of which miles are extra? If we are to embark on our quest then the readings in this month’s Life and Times help us to
Seasons Greetings! Party games and other Christmas crackers from BJGP Life
In CS Lewis’s magical classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the heroes found a frozen land of frightened animals, where it is, ‘always winter, but never Christmas.' Could this become a metaphor for the 21st century consultation? Andrew Papanikitas unwraps
This issue focusses on the heart and cardiovascular medicine. Life and Times for its part stresses the metaphysical and metaphorical heart with an eclectic smorgasbord of useful, challenging, and entertaining articles. This includes learning from tragedy, a tongue in cheek glossary, and
The BJGP/BJGPLife team will be among the crowds at this year's RCGP annual primary care meeting in Glasgow. However, we've already done some travelling and picked up some tips to share. Catch up with us in Scotland!
The Life & Times section this month highlights ways in which we risk missing important aspects of life. Many of the articles also suggest how we can extend and add necessary flexibility to our gaze.
This month’s Life and Times articles highlight general practice at the heart of the NHS ecosystem, a powerful force for social good. It is clear that we shouldn’t waste too much time partying, and that not all of the work to be done lies within health care.
The 'deluxe' breakfast came with half a mushroom, and this was unexpectedly upsetting. The menu had boasted ‘a portobello mushroom’ and the absent half felt fraudulent, stolen even.
Variety is a selling point for the profession itself (challenging and interesting) and for the resources needed to do it well (GPs are ‘best’ placed to do many great things but need time and money invested). Andrew Papanikitas introduces this month's Life
In the summer before COVID-19 it the UK, I read three works of fiction (one after another) that changed my perspective on the world and our place in it: The Wall, The World according to Anna, and The Ministry for Future