“Your chances of surviving from cancer, in America, if you are diagnosed with cancer, is better than in the UK.” Mark Littlewood, (Director General of Institute of Economic Affairs), BBC Question Time, 13 October 2011. I was recently an audience member at a recording of BBC Question Time in East London – a deeply frustrating […]
Category: Guest writers
Mike Clarke: Assessing the impact of participating in research – the need for core outcomes?
The COMET Initiative is making it easier for people to develop, identify, and use core outcome sets to improve the potential impact of research findings on healthcare practice, health, and wellbeing. But what about the challenge of assessing the potential impact of being part of a piece of research on health and wellbeing? Is there a […]
Desmond O’Neill: Quantitative easing – the academic version
The economic downturn has given us all a crash course in the arcane language of economics. A fine example is “quantitative easing,” a sober and serious sounding euphemism for the unnerving practice of governments printing money to spend their way out of a hole. While it may make sense in the short term, it dilutes […]
Nigel Hawkes: Give a Kidney – One’s Enough
The late Sir Jimmy Saville devoted much of his life to public service, raising £40 million for various good causes including hospitals, and even working shifts as a hospital porter. Yet to read his obituaries this week has been to witness a struggle, not always availing, against disbelief. […]
Dawn-Marie Walker: The emergence of online research methods
Since the internet erupted onto the scene in the 80s and 90s it has changed how we work and interact socially. Whereas before to communicate with someone in another part of the UK or world, it would require a phone call, letter, or a trip, now we can send instant messages, emails, or conduct “face to […]
Richard Vize on local government taking over responsibility for public health
Despite being 18 months away from taking over responsibility for public health, local government has already had its first clash with the NHS. It illustrates the cultural chasm the two will have to bridge if they are to make their new relationship a success. The spat with the NHS leadership at the Department of Health […]
Desmond O’Neill: Death and the composer: Thanatos as muse?
Even though my clinical life is enmeshed with an active arts and health programme with music in pole position –a composer in residence in the Stroke Unit and a hospital residency by a chamber orchestra – taking part in a three day musicology conference dedicated to the late music of Schubert seemed hugely daunting at […]
Fran Baum: The conclusion of the Rio conference
The final day of the Rio conference was on Friday and the official declaration from the conference still doesn’t deal with the underlying factors that are driving health inequalities between and within countries. Perhaps this is not surprising as addressing these factors (which include trade policy and the need to redistribute wealth more fairly) would directly challenge the […]
Babatunde Osotimehin: Helping families in the Horn of Africa to make better choices
I was pleased to learn that Hawa Ali, a 27 year old woman whom I met at a maternity shelter in Garissa, in Northern Kenya, recently delivered triplets. Hawa had been in the shelter for four months because of the high risks associated with her pregnancy. Dozens of other mothers who also arrived in the […]
Fran Baum on the alternative Rio declaration
60 health ministers and 1000 participants from around the world are attending the Rio Conference. Wednesday afternoon was a plenary session which featured contributions from a panel of speakers. Margaret Chan, the director general of the WHO, addressed the conference and took part in a panel discussion facilitated by Zeinab Badawi (BBC World). Chan has […]