What’s happening in the consulting room – it’s not just about you, but the silent politician on my shoulder. Column on political incentives to GPs.
Continue Reading →ECT : Why it shouldn’t be banned.
This is in reply to David Colquhoun after a twitter discussion. @david_colquhounhas signed a petition calling for ECT to be banned. I think this is a very bad idea. First off: ECT has been overused and badly used in the past. I don’t think it should be used where a patient doesn’t consent to […]
Continue Reading →Glasgow skeptics in the pub
V pleased to be talking at Glasgow Skeptics in the pub on Monday 5th March. Currently scanning in the most irritating adverts for screening tests you just don’t need. Joy!
Continue Reading →Atos and medical records
Two new things first, an article on the Welfare Reform Bill and Atos in the BMJ – should we really entrust Atos to reassess all people currently recieving Disability Living Allowance? I don’t think so, and here’s why. And a column for Inside Health about medical records and why they come with many perils. The […]
Continue Reading →My favourite bike shop
Common Wheel, in Maryhill. Article in the Guardian here.
Continue Reading →Why I’m not a businessman
In reply to Dirk Vinegar on the Guardian, who says “It is often forgotten that GPs are not salaried NHS clones, but independent business people, most of whom happen to be contracted to the NHS for the main source of their income.” This is important to get right, because the Health Bill will make it […]
Continue Reading →new things
Inside Health – on bad-for-you high street test kits for gluten intolerance and BMJ article – do you need your telomeres tested – nah.
Continue Reading →Weekend death rates; confusion and hype
The Today programme have said that there is ” fresh evidence that people who are admitted to hospitals in England at weekends face a significantly increased risk of death.” 4 days ago, the Telegraph reported that Andrew Lansley had decided to fund hospitals to work 24/7 with no weekend change to staffing, and the report cites […]
Continue Reading →Inside Health Radio 4 – references/useful links
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1675692 History of benzodiazepine dependence http://www.benzo.org.uk/amisc/lader.pdf Tramadol dependence http://www.jfponline.com/Pages.asp?AID=1849 Bendodiazapine addiction and effevicness http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfoforall/treatments/benzodiazepines.aspx NICE and anxiety and benzodiazepines http://www.nice.org.uk/usingguidance/optimalpracticereviewrecommendationreminders/optimal_practice_review_recommendation_reminders_detail.jsp?o=92 NICE and insomnia http://www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/pdf/21pressreleaseinsomnia.pdf All party group on involuntary tranquiliser addiction http://www.appgita.com/index.php/objectives/ Appropriate prescribing http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11767867 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11044870 Off label prescribing by experts http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/35/3/84.abstract Benzodiazepine […]
Continue Reading →BMJ – Pensions – all the rage
Free link here
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