Healthcare Commission needs to realise medicine is not a game

Doctors are criticised by the Health Care Commission for missing a target for patients to get an appointment within 48 hours.    Last month doctors were criticised because patients were unable to book appointments in advance.   It

Medicine isn't easy - if politicians got out of the way it would be easier!

  In April, the government stated that it wanted chemists to play a greater role in providing care for those with minor ailments.  They believed that pharmacists were a vastly underused resource which could easily provide diagnosis for some

Terminal cancer? You can't have this treatment

It is difficult not to be despondent when you are told that you have a terminal condition and have only a few weeks to live.  Inevitably you will be feeling very ill and faced with the stark reality that the end is rapidly approaching.   

NHS 60th birthday blog

Changes in new technology and drugs have led to drastically improved outcomes for patients since I first became a doctor almost 30 years ago.There was no ultrasound and most of the drugs we use now were not around in those days.Heart bypass operations

Maybe a miracle?

A very nice 88 year old patient of mine became very ill at the beginning of the year.  She was extremely jaundiced and her blood tests were markedly abnormal.  I arranged a scan of her abdomen which confirmed my worst fears in

How many hours?

Gordon Brown says that anybody should be able to see their GP at any time they want.  In the morning, lunchtime, afternoon, evening, middle of the night, Saturdays, Sundays, bank holidays, Christmas Day, not just for emergencies but for routine