How do you live when you know you are dying? How do you cherish the moments you have left as they slip through your fingers like water?…… Read more ““When cure is no longer an option, every moment counts.””
Kindness isn’t loud, it doesn’t grab headlines. Yet for 70 years, basic, glitz-free, humdrum humanity has been the lifeblood of the NHS
[Originally published in the Guardian, 21.06.18] Too many times their cries had filled the radiotherapy suite. For children, the necessary separation from their parents during treatment can be…… Read more “Kindness isn’t loud, it doesn’t grab headlines. Yet for 70 years, basic, glitz-free, humdrum humanity has been the lifeblood of the NHS”
As an NHS palliative care doctor, I say: let Alfie Evans die with dignity
[Originally published in The Guardian on 26.04.18.] Of all the comments from all the opportunists seeking to make political capital from a dying child, the most asinine,…… Read more “As an NHS palliative care doctor, I say: let Alfie Evans die with dignity”
Thank you, NHS, for giving Dad the best possible death
(Originally published in The Sunday Times, 7th January 2018) The morning after it happens, it is hard to believe the sun still shines. I am standing in…… Read more “Thank you, NHS, for giving Dad the best possible death”
Those eye-popping 6.5% to 29% NHS pay rises are a lie – and I can prove it
The first rule of navigating the used car lot is that if the deal you’re being offered sounds too good to be true, well – those shiny-looking…… Read more “Those eye-popping 6.5% to 29% NHS pay rises are a lie – and I can prove it”
Doctors owe it to patients to tell the truth: the NHS may be in terminal decline
(Originally published on 12/05/17 in the Guardian here.) Like church and state, medicine and politics are traditionally seen as a queasy mix. The last thing you want…… Read more “Doctors owe it to patients to tell the truth: the NHS may be in terminal decline”
I’m a doctor, not a gatekeeper turning ‘health tourists’ away
Originally published in The Guardian, 22.11.2016 What better way of diverting attention from the government’s failure to address NHS underfunding ahead of the autumn statement than to…… Read more “I’m a doctor, not a gatekeeper turning ‘health tourists’ away”
As a junior doctor, I see that the Government is covering up a crisis in the NHS
Originally published in the Independent, 11.01.17 “Can’t you at least get my mum a bloody pillow? Is even that too much to ask?” I shuffled awkwardly in my…… Read more “As a junior doctor, I see that the Government is covering up a crisis in the NHS”
The curious case of Courtroom Four – or Ally McBeal meets the Tooth Fairy
According to one Hollywood scriptwriting website: “The courtroom drama, with the help of complex characters and a great storyline, can result in a heart-pumping, sweat-inducing, masterpiece of…… Read more “The curious case of Courtroom Four – or Ally McBeal meets the Tooth Fairy”
Solving the junior doctor dispute: reconciliation requires grace and candour
Years ago, on catching my university boyfriend in the act of giving his ‘tutorial partner’ some extra-curricular, under-duvet tutelage, I experienced wrath so ferocious I wanted…… Read more “Solving the junior doctor dispute: reconciliation requires grace and candour”
