Before 2018 ends, I want to celebrate again the grandfather of UK pharmacopoeias, the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis, whose first edition was published in 1618 in two separate versions (Box 1). Its […]
Month: December 2018
Sarah Markham: Online tool provides support for people with suicidal thoughts
As an individual with lived experience of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, I was so happy to see “Staying Safe from Suicidal Thoughts” (StayingSafe.net) launched by 4 Mental Health last […]
Martin McKee: Taking stock of Brexit—what comes next?
The consequences of a “no deal” Brexit are so catastrophic that it is almost inconceivable that a serious politician would allow it to happen […]
Christmas 2018: Ding! Dong!—not too merrily on high
Do portrayals of alcohol on greeting cards undermine public health messages about harmful drinking, ask Tracey Polak and Virginia Pearson? […]
Joseph Queally: Mastery in music and surgery—exploiting parallels in performance
Surgeons have much to learn from activities associated with musical performance […]
Hearfield and Collier: Breastfeeding and NHS doctors
The WHO recommends that women breastfeed their children for up to two years or longer and the NHS promotes breastfeeding for the general population through a variety of means (eg, […]
Brexit will increase the UK’s vulnerability to the impact of climate change
The British government is overwhelmed by Brexit. Preparations and negotiations are consuming the bulk of many government departments’ time and attention, leaving them little scope to properly address other urgent […]
Macfarlane and Malik: ECG electrode positioning deserves proper attention
Greater attention to the acquisition of accurate electrocardiogram (ECG) recording is desperately needed. A decade ago, others documented how badly health professionals position ECG electrodes. [1] It appears that the […]
For healthcare innovation we need to think beyond “if we just try harder we’ll succeed”
Healthcare services can be frustratingly resistant to innovation. At the recent World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) in Qatar, discussion was focused on how we can change practice within health […]
James S Thambyrajah: Prescribing compassion at Christmas
The festive season offers a chance to remember that caring for our patients shouldn’t be confined to our practice walls, says James S Thambyrajah […]