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Opinion - Page 8

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Whilst I am here

Somewhere along this odyssey ... A rumour must have spread ... That doctors know a bit of everything ... From eyelashes to raising the dead
21 September 2026
1 min read
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The psychosomatic self

If the only reason a doctor labels symptoms as psychosomatic is that they can’t come up with a better explanation, they might as well blame the fairies at the bottom of the garden... Ben Hoban will make you think!
14 May 2025
5 mins read
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Clinical courage

Clinical courage is a term that has emerged in the field of rural general practice, particularly in Canada and Australia. Caroline McCarthy reflects on how it manifested for her.
8 May 2025
3 mins read
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The days of small things

...I sensed that they also lived in a different dimension of time. The soft chattering of the patients waiting and sitting on the grass outside the clinic had an unhurried acceptance of just waiting. Storied reflection from rural general practice in South
5 May 2025
5 mins read

It is time we talk about the duties of a patient

"... while patients' rights have been well-defined, the corresponding duties of a patient are rarely articulated [...] Just as doctors must adhere to professional standards, patients should be expected to fulfil certain duties — to themselves, healthcare professionals, the health system, society,
24 April 2025
5 mins read
1
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An Easter egg from BJGP Life

'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.
20 April 2025
2 mins read
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How long does general practice take?

"... to my surprise, I’ve become the sort of doctor that has been in the same clinic for 20 years. I’ve never been bored, I’ve often been anxious, and I’ve been privileged to witness some of the most amazing and some of the
8 April 2025
2 mins read
1
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Access to general practice

The Health Foundation has recently identified that the public’s first big priority across the NHS is to make it easier to get an appointment at their GP practice. Nada Khan explores what meaningful access looks like in general practice.
7 April 2025
6 mins read
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What is Illness?

Peter Toon considers how public debates inform why we define a condition as illness rather than another type of problem, and the implications of this.
4 April 2025
10 mins read
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Getting an upgrade

Taking a look at her consultation model feels like the least painful of her goals to try and get done, and so she takes hold of the flaking metal handrail, slowly breathes in and out to centre herself, and walks down the
3 April 2025
4 mins read
2
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Write for (BJGP) Life

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!
22 March 2025
6 mins read
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Narrative failure

Something shifted in my head, and I heard the sound of a penny dropping in a bank vault deep underground. I rummaged around in my desk for the Campbell-Frank Analyser and applied the scalp electrodes and mask with trembling hands.
10 March 2025
4 mins read
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Illusions of control

Ponder this: The causal link between our actions and any outcome may be dubious, but the relief we feel at having done something, especially when there is an improvement of some kind, is so strongly reinforcing that we tend to ignore this.
7 March 2025
5 mins read
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Adolescent screening for digital diabetes

In the same way there is an unsettling parallel in the rise of obesity and ultra-processed food from the 1970’s onwards, the rise of faster and more invasive digital technology seems to link with a decline in mental health. Giles Dawnay discusses
17 February 2025
4 mins read
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Deep end – The scent of poverty

What exactly is this smell of poverty? It is so pervasive. I recognise it in an instance. This perfume should be called “Deep End”, and it gives every encounter with poverty a visceral olfactory dimension. Jen Foell reflects.
14 February 2025
5 mins read
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Ripples on a pond

If it is difficult to agree what exactly we mean by health, it is perhaps unsurprising that we also approach unhealth in a number of different ways. Ben Hoban reflects on the meanings of 'unhealth.'
13 February 2025
4 mins read
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