The proposed introduction by the General Medical Council (GMC) of compulsory detailed assessment of doctors every five years, perhaps starting in November this year, is difficult for those not regularly […]
Guest writers
Nicola While on the European Parliament elections
Amid all the frenzy around the economic crisis, MPs expenses, and celebrity gossip, one would be forgiven for thinking that the British media have forgotten all about the forthcoming European […]
Alan Nye on hitting the 18-week target
Some doctors have been complaining of a targetitis epidemic within the NHS for years. Such world-weariness should not detract from confirmation that the health service in England has achieved its commitment […]
David Kerr on preventing cervical cancer in Africa
I think we have reached a pivotal moment in the fight to prevent cervical cancer in Africa. This week I organised an international meeting in Oxford, bringing together representatives of […]
Chris Turner on life at Stafford Hospital after the media storm
So it’s the end of week two since the Healthcare Commission report into Stafford Hospital became public knowledge, and the toll is showing. It shows on the faces of staff […]
Philipp du Cros dreams of a rapid point of care test for tuberculosis
In my work with Médecins Sans Frontières I constantly face dilemmas when trying to decide whether a patient has tuberculosis or not. In the countries where we work, diagnosis for […]
Lord John Rea on tackling malaria in Uganda
My first visit to Uganda was in 1965 – the Halcyon days after independence when King Freddie the Kabaka of Buganda still ruled. I flew from Nigeria, where I was […]
Tauseef Mehrali on ladybirds and tree-hugging
“Two hours – two f***ing hours!” he screams as he bludgeons his partner to a pulp in front of her four children for returning home late from the shops. The […]
Richard Feinmann on volunteering after retirement
What to do when you are a sexagenarian physician who has retired from hospital practice with 40 years in the NHS under your belt and golf/Sudoku not really appealing? Well, […]
Matiram Pun backs web-only publication
Journals historically started as print publications and, after reaching the library, were catalogued and arranged systematically for readers to find articles easily. Sometimes academics were confused and so would ask […]