I couldn’t watch this programme. The abuse was horrific. If you don’t know already, it was about physical and emotional abuse delivered by ‘care’ staff in a private hospital to patients with complex learning disability and mental health problems. Question Time just now is going on about private vs NHS care services. There is no […]
Continue Reading →Atos adverts tug at heartstrings
At least, they try to. New style advert in the BMJ today. Previous ads have emphasised that working for Atos, as ‘disability assessors’ for their contract with the DWP, is good for ‘work life balance‘. The newly worked ad says that “you could make the difference that gives someone on incapacity benefit a brighter future…It’s […]
Continue Reading →This week: what GPs don’t know about asthma
In the BMJ: Recent headlines about general practitioners’ poor knowledge of asthma reflect flawed surveys, writes Margaret McCartney Are general practitioners no good at treating asthma? “GPs poor asthma training ‘risks lives,’” said the Independent recently, sternly warning that “Asthma UK says a survey found that 47% of GPs admit that their own knowledge about […]
Continue Reading →The GMC and Atos (continued)
So. The GMC say that they will investigate complaints against doctors working for Atos in the same way as any other doctor. See a statement, here: Niall Dickson, the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, said: “We look at all complaints received carefully and take further action on those where there is evidence of […]
Continue Reading →Charities vs the NHS
The CEO of Marie Curie is defending the charity sector’s position in providing end-of-life care. He is arguing for the ‘Big Society’: “Make far greater use of society in healthcare. Welcome volunteers to help deliver care in every setting in the public sector. We do in the voluntary sector and it works and it is […]
Continue Reading →Why doctors should desist from being agents of the state
Just released files published by the Guardian. “Intimate examinations – used to “check the marital status” of Indian and Pakistani women coming to Britain to marry – were on a far wider scale than was previously known. The practice was banned in February 1979 after the Guardianexclusively reported that a 35-year-old Indian woman teacher was […]
Continue Reading →Turning sexual health clinics into prisons
My friend Ben Holden speaking out about the prison created in the sexual health clinic where he works. Asylum seekers are people first.
Continue Reading →Plos Medicine on Guantánamo Bay
A sobering and uncomfortable read. Which makes it important that we do
Continue Reading →Macmillan cancer
Did you know? that Macmillan nurses/consultants are funded by Macmillan for the first three years (but I know of several people funded for only two) – but the deal is that these posts must be then funded by the NHS but forever known by the moniker. So it’s always going to be Macmillan nurse Smith, […]
Continue Reading →NMT Medical liquidates
and so, I hope, farewell to the libel case against Peter Wilmshurt.
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