"This book is terrifying, informative, stimulating, and educating to every member of the medical and nursing profession. It is extensively researched, has a massive bibliography, and, most importantly, it is well written and well worth reading — in spite of some truly
Stoic philosophy was based on the recognition that we cannot escape what is destined for us. An acceptance of inevitability has a number of implications for working as a GP. Austin O'Carroll wrestles with fate.
'Perhaps a psychoanalyst would coax out of me that growing my nails is an act of quiet liberation; I can decide how long I want my nails to be, I can decide what I want to next choose for myself. taking control
Martin Hewett argues that because of their understanding of their “duty of care”, doctors make micro-adjustments to their behaviours and work practices to cope with the increased work. This acceptance of the increased workload has two main effects: it sets a new
When you are with a patient and you get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, accompanied by a wish that you were somewhere else, then you are probably facing an ethical problem, writes Peter Toon
Briony Hudson gives a curator's view of the RCGP 'Women at the heart of General Practice' exhibition, now open online and in person at 30 Euston Square
Vasumathy Sivarajasingam argues that we need to talk about, and manage, the menopause much better, and reminds us about key aspects that make a huge difference to women's health
Maria Victoria Bovo and John Launer give an account of a remarkable conversation they had in December 2021 during an online workshop in narrative medicine, about Long-COVID and a colleague.
In November 2021 the First Coastal Primary Care Network (FCPCN) hosted an event to understand 'Deep End' practice. This short article intends to inform readers as well as providing a record of the day’s events.
Koki Kato introduces us to phenomenology as an approach to understanding patient-centred care, using his own illness-experience as a worked example.
Helen Burn explains that because legalised physician-assisted dying would likely involve GPs, GPs should think about their views on the issue.
Felicitas Selter, Kirsten Persson, and Gerald Neitzke discuss the similarities and differences in animal and human euthanasia as a source of moral distress for the practitioner.
Andrew Papanikitas, Peter Toon, Paquita De Zulueta, David Misselbrook and John Spicer launch the Ethics of the Ordinary column and reflect on the field of primary care ethics and its relevance
Steven Walker gives a sobering introduction the history of child abuse
Louise Hyde argues that we could be doing a lot more to protect children from COVID in the UK
Michael Poplawski shares five hot tips for starting a medical YouTube channel
Lloyd Hughes looks at plans for an integrated Scottish National Care Service and considers the strategic challenges for general practice it poses.
Austin O'Carroll argues that the label of personality disorder is inappropriate and harmful to patients who have suffered adverse social environments in childhood. By simultaneously ignoring social causation and denying the possibility of therapy the diagnosis perpetrates a systematic injustice against those
Afsana Bhuyia and colleagues give us a de-mystifying introduction to dashboards and registries, digital public health tools which they are using in their work on the management of cancer.
Andrew Papanikitas and colleagues show us that reflection on our professional lives can be as easy as child's play.
Being able to connect to others, to find joy and meaning in a common purpose, is not an added extra but is the very stuff of human life. But what of the effects of the Covid pandemic? Johanna Reilly discusses her concerns.
We value patient autonomy, but how free are we, how free are our patients? Will Mackintosh considers how constraints on freedom contribute to health inequalities.
Could the mistreatment of women by men be linked to how these men behaved towards other boys when they were youngsters themselves? Arthur Kaufman, a clinical psychologist, considers this hypothesis.
Amar Rughani reflects on the opportunities offered by retirement. A lifetime of service to the community has shaped who we are, so this is an opportunity to embrace that. The life to come could be the best yet.
Two years ago we did not know that we would all be caring for patients with long covid. Feryad Hussain surveys the current evidence.
Shame, a near-universal accompaniment of human compromise, often generates major distress, yet rarely finds direct language. How, then, do doctors – now so often seen as ‘fixers’ – deal with such an elusive problem? Read David Zigmond's latest masterclass.
It’s hard to understand the actions of a leadership that attacks doctors and nurses at the peak of a pandemic, but that is what is happening in Myanmar ...
As euthanasia is an uncomplicated and humane way of disposing of a sick animal, why should it not be available as a treatment option for human patients who are suffering? A vet and a doctor working in palliative medicine discuss a little
Following David Zigmond's previous article he received a letter from a retired GP which has prompted this further reflection.
Has general practice lost its way? Lyn Jenkins is a retired colleague who advocated the "rewilding" of general practice.
Creativity is the ability to make creative decisions and have creative ideas. Aliana Sharma has a few bright ideas.....
The UK’s NHS data has been valued at £10bn. Paquita de Zulueta discusses the current plans to sell off our medical details.
COVID-19 has accelerated the uptake of digital consultations. But rather than focus on form, perhaps our attention should fall to how the content of consultations has changed. Dr Clare Etherington and Dr Liliana Risi explore this in detail and suggest that 'digital
Many politicians, planners and now younger doctors are advocating more remote and procedurally algorithmic practice. These assume the irrelevance of personal continuity of care. Yet much gets lost. What? David Zigmond gives us three authentic tales from a single practice.
To tell, or not to tell? David Zigmond gives us three case vignettes that explore this area of doctor patient communication.
What do we want of doctors beside biomedical science? David Zigmond cautions us that post Covid, we risk replacing the doctor's human heart with an immured, mechanical one that can count but cannot value.
Bearing witness, for our colleagues in Myanmar, as so many of us do for our patients, is powerful, but it is not enough. Jim Brockbank tells the story of our colleagues in Myanmar who want us to be their advocates, hear their
The current pandemic has brought with it an "infodemic" of misinformation. A crisis is the time to show resilience, rely on collective wisdom, and refrain from a panic response. As a society we need to create more room for reason and access
Julian Tudor Hart's "Inverse Care Law" was published 50 years ago last month. Stephen Gillam reminds us of Tudor Hart's remarkable legacy and its immediate relevance for us today.
Have some patients been receiving the wrong type of ‘aid’ when they became seriously unwell in the COVID-19 pandemic? Peter Nightingale explains the concept of "last aid" for dying patients.
Raj Khanchandani reviews "Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS", an online exhibition curated by the Migration Museum.
