Breastfeeding is good for babies and mothers. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has long been a champion, advocating vigorously for policies that support mothers and improve […]
Guest writers
C.R. Chandrasekar: Raising awareness of sarcomas
Many years ago I saw a young man who helped me to focus on the importance of raising public and professional awareness of sarcomas, a rare cancer. He had a […]
Joanna Lyall: Feeding the 400
The comfort of food is not a concept readily accepted by institutions, be they hospitals, schools, or nursing homes. As well as financial constraints—many NHS trusts in England feed inpatients […]
Bengt Fadeel: Bob Dylan, the Nobel Prize, and The Day of the Locusts
Our paper, published last year in The BMJ, on the tendency among scientists in the biomedical field to cite Bob Dylan’s lyrics in their own papers,1 seems to have struck a […]
Laura Burkimsher: The art of medicine
“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” — Voltaire This was the opening sentence of my personal statement for my application to medical […]
Mary Higgins: Remembering
Recently we held our annual service of remembrance—the 20th time we have formally celebrated the brief lives of babies that died. This is an important part of our care of […]
Hitesh Bansal: When the worlds of medical student and medical patient collide
A 20 year old male presented to A&E with abdominal pain. The pain was sharp, constant, severe, located in the epigastric region, radiating through to the back, and had been […]
Rosanna O’ Keeffe on Direct Provision: Is this really the best we can do for those seeking asylum?
In 2000 the Direct Provision scheme was officially introduced by the Irish government. The scheme requires asylum seekers to live in designated accommodation centres while they await decisions on their […]
Chris van Stolk and Joanna Hofman: Helping people with mental health problems to stay in work
Reducing mental ill health in the UK remains a significant policy challenge for government. Just over 6 million working age people have mental health […]
Jonny Martell: Opening a dialogue in mental health
I was there the first time my father saw the psychiatrist. I think it was the only time, in his study at home. I remember I was seated behind him, […]