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Opinion - Page 16

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When normal tests end care too early

Medicine is remarkably effective at identifying disease. Yet when symptoms persist without a clear diagnosis, it often falters—not because knowledge is lacking, but because legitimacy quietly evaporates.
13 January 2026
3 mins read

The USP of General Practice

'GPs are not good at relational care or managing complexity and uncertainty because of any inherent aptitude for these things, but because our role places us into an environment in which they are unavoidable,' argues Ben Hoban.
2 October 2022
2 mins read

‘D’ is for doctors and dentists

The Covid-19 lockdowns exacerbated wait times for dental treatment. Where does all of this leave GPs (and our emergency department colleagues) who are faced with potentially increasing numbers of dental presentations?
29 September 2022
4 mins read
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Ode to primary care

'One does not love breathing.' says Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird. 'Primary care to me is the lungs or heart of the NHS,' Rubia Usman reflects.
11 September 2022
1 min read
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Relational care

The government has gained control over the system; doctors have gained the freedom to have a life outside the surgery; and patients have gained – at least in theory – unlimited access to textbook medicine, regardless of who provides it. Ben Hoban
7 September 2022
3 mins read

Poor choices

If a patient has an Adverse Childhood Experiences score of 4 or higher then the risk of multiple health problems, such as cancer, obesity, and heart disease, increases. Giles Dawnay asks, how much, then, of our hard and well-intentioned work is no
2 September 2022
3 mins read

Medically Explained Symptoms

It may therefore be that the best way to spot the symptoms of serious disease is not always to be looking for them, argues Ben Hoban
31 August 2022
2 mins read
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The suicide hierarchy

Austin O'Carroll critiques a moralistic definition of suicide that culminates in a unjust hierarchy of worthiness for compassion and support. Seeing beyond intention to the causes of despair may be more helpful
24 August 2022
7 mins read
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Health Perception

People living in more affluent parts of the world with better healthcare and less disease tend to have a lower view of their health than people in poorer areas, where disease is more prevalent and healthcare less well-developed. Ben Hoban asks what
5 August 2022
2 mins read

Labels

"We have talked to friends, colleagues, teachers and other adopters and have concluded that we should go ahead with an assessment. We will access resources and advice, buy a new genre of books, try to think of different parenting strategies to help our child..."
4 August 2022
3 mins read
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