I developed a strong interest in medicine and becoming a doctor at the beginning of high school. I liked the idea of being of service, the social respect doctors are afforded, and […]
Guest writers
Stephen Ginn on self help: friend or foe?
There was a page advert in the Metro this week for a three days seminar with TV hypnotist Paul McKenna and pals which promised to “Change your life in three […]
Tony Waterston on climate change talks at the Commons
A meeting in the House of Commons to discuss the health impact of climate change? Surely that would be worth 32kg of CO2 to travel from Newcastle for – since […]
William Lee on Philip Nitschke’s return to the UK
Philip Nitschke is in the UK giving his DIY suicide workshops again. I attended one of these in October and blogged about it then. His reappearance reminded me that last […]
Julia Riley on end of life care
The last nine months have seen significant efforts to break down the national reserve which surrounds talking about end of life care and death. The launch pad was the Government’s […]
Mairi Scott and Tom Love on pandemic flu training for retired health care professionals
Pressures on the workforce are going to be one of the big challenges for the NHS in a pandemic. One strategy which might help with this problem is to draw upon […]
Tracey Koehlmoos on chronic disease management in Bangladesh
Maybe you have never thought about Bangladesh and do not know Dhaka from Dakar, but I do. I think about Bangladesh every day. I have lived in South Asia long […]
B M Hegde on flu
I was working in Ipswich in a cardiothoracic centre during the 1968-69 ‘Flu epidemic. During the Xmas week end of 1968 I had to be on call from Friday through […]
Adrian Gonzalez on swine flu in Mexico
In 2003 I was at the BMJ’s offices in Tavistock Square, London, when China’s SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic was at its peak. At that time the risk of […]
Jane Parry on flu
Hong Kongers have lived through more than their fair share of bird flu scares across the border in China over the last few years, and, of course, Sars in 2003 […]