Little over two weeks ago, I was blearily watching the closing minutes of Newsnight, when Jeremy Paxman dropped in a late-breaking news story. There had been – he said – a large earthquake in Haiti. Early reports were of widespread destruction. Shaking myself awake, I picked up the phone to the on-call press officer. “I’ve […]
Category: Guest writers
Douglas Noble on medication safety
A recent review of medication safety revealed a 9% error rate, of which 50% were significant and 2% potentially fatal. Just think of the significance of that for a moment, perhaps between amending drug charts – for every 500 drug orders written by a doctor, 1 patient could die as a result. […]
David Kerr: Healthcare reform depends on senate race which is too close to call
Massachusetts voters go to the polls today to elect the late Ted Kennedy’s senate replacement. They also hold the fate of Obama’s healthcare reform programme in their hands. From a 30 point lead in the polls Democratic candidate Martha Coakley’s ratings have plummeted. Recent polls have put Republican candidate Scott Brown ahead. […]
Vidhya Alakeson on the two US healthcare reform bills
As world events have come to dominate the news in America, health reform appears to have slipped from the front page. But in the backrooms of Capitol Hill and the White House, discussions are as furious as ever. On Christmas Eve, the Senate passed a healthcare reform bill, just as the House of Representatives had […]
Hugh Ip: Reverse culture shock
I got out of the lift on the sixth floor of S block. I asked a nurse in Cantonese, “is this the respiratory medicine clinic?” “That’s right; you’re an overseas elective student aren’t you?” “Yes.” “Sit here and wait for the doctor.” […]
Muza Gondwe: It was not easy to identify them
It was not easy identifying them; I had to rely a lot on nomination from peers. The information in biographical dictionaries of “leading” scientists was scant and searches on the internet revealed very little. But now, I am mid way through my six month fellowship and it seems I am overwhelmed with the numbers, this […]
Richard Smith: What’s bothering doctors?
The fantasy that doctors are primarily concerned with patients and not much at all with money goes deep and is highly reassuring. Everybody was upset by two health ministers – Enoch Powell and Ken Clarke – observing that almost all of their conversations with doctors’ leaders were about money. […]
Julian Sheather: The girl who said no to a heart
When she was five, Hannah Jones was diagnosed with Leukaemia. Although successfully treated, the drugs weakened her heart and by the time she was twelve it was clear that without a transplant she would die. She declined the offer. Faced with a major operation of uncertain outcome, the prospect of a lifetime on medication, and […]
Richard Smith: A bad case of health
I’ve been puzzling for years over how to define health without making much progress, but I thought I might take a step forward by listening to a discussion on the radio about whether philosophy can help you live the good life. […]
MSF doctor Caroline Forwood on kala azar in India
The music is loud tonight, layers of competing sounds, horns and wind instruments, a screeching female voice on a tannoy system then a man with a better trained voice, car horns and shouting. The 11pm train from Patna must be able to sense the competition and is blasting a longer than usual announcement of its […]