Progress has stalled over the past few years, but with better messaging, a simplified programme, and increased accountability then 2018 could be the year of NCD […]
Columnists
Neville Goodman’s metaphor watch: A slip-up
It was inevitable, in the recent cluster of articles about assisted dying, that the slippery slope would be mentioned. I referred to it when discussing Pandora’s Box (q.v.), and quoted […]
Peter Brindley: Coming to terms with death and what we leave behind
I was in a car crash recently; fortunately only my pride and pocket book were injured. If I’m honest, my major response was mainly one of annoyance. I did not […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . How to create neologisms
Last week I discussed neologisms, including ones formed by adding to or corrupting existing words. The following list of other methods of neologising is not exhaustive. Acronyms An acronym is […]
Richard Smith: How to improve NHS Improvement
Baroness Dido Harding (pictured), the chair of NHS Improvement, is the latest in a series of high achieving business people brought in to improve the NHS, and last week she […]
Matt Morgan and Paul Twose: Efficient, fragmented holistic care
It is a familiar situation—sitting on the ward, long after your shift has finished, waiting for the phone to ring so you can clarify a patient treatment plan. Was that […]
Neena Modi: Patients need good healthcare systems as much as good doctors
A few weeks ago, the author of a letter to The BMJ suggested that the medical profession has an obligation to argue for “a healthier and more just society”. I […]
Abraar Karan: Why can’t we accept that residents are being overworked?
Why are we as a system so slow to accept that young doctors are being worked beyond necessity, and even beyond benefit? […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Neologisms
Most words in general use have arisen through natural evolution of the language, often by changing the meanings of existing words or combining words. This is well illustrated by a […]
Billy Boland: Broken legs—the holy grail of outcome measures in mental health
Outcomes in mental health are getting a lot of attention of late. A troublesome concept for us; how do we measure what we do? Measurement is central to quality improvement […]