Our national pandemic health protection response in the UK has been undermined at every turn by misinformation and disinformation from self styled “libertarians,” “lockdown sceptics,” “truth seekers,” covid deniers, conspiracy […]
David Oliver
David Oliver: Care homes need our support in the covid-19 era and beyond
What do care homes have to do to get a break in England right now? Before the first UK covid-19 deaths in March, care homes got precious little attention in […]
David Oliver: The UK government’s pandemic response has been economical with the truth
Much of the rhetoric on the coronavirus pandemic has drawn on battlefield metaphors. Perhaps the notion that truth is the first casualty of war also applies to our government’s response […]
David Oliver: A troubled care home market should concern us all
The success or failure of our care home market has serious implications for all health and social care services, warns David Oliver […]
David Oliver: Outdated rants provide no solutions for a modern NHS
Earlier this week, Norman Tebbit, a high profile cabinet minister and spokesperson during Margaret Thatcher’s government, used a Daily Telegraph column to share his views on solutions for the crisis […]
David Oliver: A speech to be proud of?
A couple of weeks ago Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in England gave a speech at the annual NHS Providers’ Conference. Unexpectedly, he popped […]
David Oliver: The view from the conference lectern
Preparing a talk for a medical conference is an arduous and often thankless task. Let’s give speakers a break, says David Oliver […]
David Oliver: A matter of trust—doctors, the NHS, patients, and the public
The public still have high levels of trust in doctors as a profession, but we must not take that trust for granted […]
David Oliver: Closing more hospital beds—the policy zombie they couldn’t kill
During the silly season over Christmas and New Year, NHS England Chief Nursing Officer Jane Cummings gave an interview to the Daily Telegraph. She advocated better investment in community and […]
David Oliver: A dispute played out via soundbites and spin cannot end well for services
I write this a few hours after the BMA agreed that it would take up the offer of renewed contract talks with the government, brokered by the Academy of Medical […]