On television we can often tell more from peoples’ words or reactions than from any scripted voiceover. In “Protecting our Parents”—a three part BBC 2 documentary, due to be screened on 17 April, this holds very true. Our society is often afraid to face up to the realities of old age, and a youth fixated […]
Category: Columnists
Billy Boland: Why criticism can be helpful
When we formed our Self Managed Learning (SML) group at the NHS Leadership Academy, I made it clear to the others that I wanted them to push me and be critical friends. A year can fly by and we’re scheduled to meet only six times. Groups can take a while to settle down, and I […]
Neal Maskrey: Medical maths
Most of us end up with a handful of people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives. I’ve been lucky to have had dozens of memorable teachers, and one of the first was Miss Molineux. Miss Molineux was young, enthusiastic, and kind. We were not […]
Desmond O’Neill: Combatting rigidity in medicine
High quality films for children have a special place in our cultural landscape, an appeal which even embraces the medical humanities. To reach beyond children to the adults in their entourage requires a sure touch for tapping into the universal across the lifespan. In addition, many of the underlying fables are vehicles for deep and […]
Richard Smith: Rediscovering a BMJ gem
After a class I taught recently one of the students came up to me and said, “My mother was fond of you. Her name was Clare Vaughan.” I remembered. I met Clare only once, shortly before she died in July 1996 in her early 40s. My memory of the meeting is hazy: I remember beauty, […]
James Raftery: Should the NHS use the new meningitis B vaccine?
The argument over whether the NHS should fund Bexsero, the new meningitis B vaccine from Novartis, raises a global issue about the price of the new vaccine, as well as questions about the role of cost effectiveness analysis in setting prices for vaccines, and the processes of the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI), […]
William Cayley: Medicine—too fast, too slow, or just right?
“Slow Medicine” is getting more and more attention. The authors of several recent books have got readers thinking more and more about taking time, truly listening to the patient, focusing again on the thorough history and physical, and building relationships—among the good (and inspiring) reads on this are God’s Hotel, Out of Practice, and What […]
Simon Chapman: Why is Big Tobacco investing in e-cigarettes?
Discussion about e-cigarettes on social media, the blogosphere, and vaping chatrooms is dominated by impassioned accounts from former, now vaping, smokers wanting to encourage smokers to do what they have done. The early data on e-cigarettes show them to be as good as, or marginally better than nicotine replacement therapy in helping smokers to stop. […]
Neal Maskrey: Where is the evidence for evidence based medicine?
The internet was 25 years old last week. When Tim Berners-Lee was asked what has surprised him most about the internet’s use he replied “kittens.” With respect, I disagree. The most surprising aspect of the internet is how easy it is to genuinely interact with people around the world. My e-friends might not come to […]
Tracey Koehlmoos: You’ve come a long way, baby. Really?
March is Women’s History Month in the US, UK, and Australia. 8 March was International Women’s Day everywhere. There are more women prime ministers, presidents, CEOs, and leaders than ever before. More women than men attend college in the US, and since 2008 women have completed the majority of doctoral degrees. However, for all of […]