“Words strikes him as a ruse. His maize and beans and squash—all growing things alone disclose the wordless mind of God.” This doesn’t seem like a good place for a […]
Richard Smith
Richard Smith was the editor of The BMJ until 2004.
What factors have determined how well countries have done in responding to the pandemic?
The world still has a way to go with responding to the global covid-19 pandemic, but can we discern factors that have determined how well different countries have done in […]
Richard Smith: Eight-year-olds protest about climate change and the destruction of nature
Thomas Gomersall and four friends, all eight-years-old, recently organised a march to Islington Town Hall to call for action on the climate crisis. Later they organised a cake sale to […]
Richard Smith: The cleansing power of the “perfect” death
If you’ve not seen “Blackbird,” a film that is now available on Amazon Prime, and plan to, then read no further. When I give talks on death I ask the […]
An open letter to the new president of the Academy of Medical Sciences on the future of the Academy
Dame Anne Johnson, professor of epidemiology and director of the Centre of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at University College London, became president of the Academy at the end of 2020 Dear […]
Richard Smith: Communicating about climate change—think audience and messenger
Climate Outreach, leaders in communicating about climate change, do not aim to proselytise, sell, or persuade, but rather fulfil people’s “right to know.” Just as people have a right to […]
Richard Smith: The vision of an electronically connected NHS comes closer
In April 2002, the National Programme for IT (which in 2005 became Connecting for Health) set out with the ambitious vision of creating a paperless NHS. The programme was expected […]
Richard Smith: Time for a radical pivot in the welfare state, including the NHS
Every so often we encounter a book, or even an article, that says something important and changes our thinking. Often they are books that express clearly something that we have […]
Richard Smith: Emotional distress (not mental health) and climate change
The main thing I learnt from a webinar on mental health and climate change organized by Climate Cares is that we should stop talking about mental health and use instead […]
Richard Smith: The medical apostate’s tale
The Ministry of Bodies by Seamus O’Mahony is published today by Apollo. It has many acute observations on the practice of medicine in the 21st century, finds Richard Smith In […]