Some time ago I wrote a letter to the Spanish daily El Mundo, saying that co-payments –an extra charge for accessing medical services in the public healthcare system, should be […]
Guest writers
Neil French: A new source of hope for children in Malawi – the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines
Pneumococcal disease causes probably at least half of the pneumonia cases in Malawi. It also causes meningitis, blood poisoning, and otitis, which if it doesn’t kill can leave a child […]
Norman Lufesi: Malawi’s aggressive response to childhood pneumonia
World pneumonia day this year was occasion for a huge celebration in Malawi, as we had chosen the day to introduce pneumococcal vaccines, which will protect our children from the […]
Tom Yates: Lies, damn lies, and epidemiology
“Dear sir, I have completely failed to understand a simple criticism of our work, please tell everyone, yours, BBCnews“ Tweet by @bengoldacre, 4 November 2011 The misuse of epidemiology is […]
Melanie Calvert: CONSORT quality of life extension under development
In the past decade, recommendations and user’s guides for evaluating, reporting, and interpreting health related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes from randomised controlled trials have been published, but disappointingly few […]
Jim Dobbin: The rise of vaccine coverage in Bangladesh
I am in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to mark world pneumonia day and also to learn more about how the UK’s financial contributions to Bangladesh and the GAVI Alliance are helping to […]
Caroline Boobis: All day dialysis
I’d like to tell you about my mother, Doris.* She is 87 years old and has been on haemodialysis for nearly 25 years (is this a record?). She has dialysis three […]
Chris Ham: Commonwealth Fund survey: If the NHS is doing well, why is it changing?
The Commonwealth Fund’s survey of the experience of adults with complex care needs, published last week, paints a remarkably positive picture of the NHS. The results show that, of the […]
Desmond O’Neill: Donizetti and the GP
It is almost certainly the most unique operatic experience in Europe. As you walk up a narrow street of terraced houses in a small coastal town in south-eastern Ireland, you […]
Vivienne Bachelet: Medical editorial and publishing worlds – are they working together or not in the Chilean outback
I am writing from London and due to get back home in a few days. Home for me is Santiago, Chile, a beautiful place to live in and to visit. […]