186 days. Not far off half a year. That’s how long it’s been since I first had Covid symptoms. We had tried very hard to avoid it for 26 months, but our son going to a Marina and Diamonds concert in Dublin at the end of May was always going to be a high risk […]
health
Does your hospital have dedicated baby loss facilities?
Imagine you have just heard the news that every parent to be dreads – that you are losing your much wanted baby. Then, you have to give birth, or support your partner giving birth on the labour ward in your hospital. You can hear the sounds of newborn babies crying and the associated sounds of […]
The Conservatives fail because they think they know best.
One of the characteristics of this awful government is that they manage to present even ideas with a modicum of sense in a way which ensures they will be unpopular. Yesterday we had a classic example in the news that the new Health Secretary, Thérèse Coffey as part of her ‘Plan for Patients’ is planning […]
Lord help us all….Lib Dems react to new Cabinet
So Liz Truss is now ensconced in Downing Street appointing her new Cabinet. And it looks like it is going to be one of the most socially as well as economically conservative governments in over quarter of a century. This is somewhat surprising given that she is the first Prime Minister of my lifetime who […]
Ed Davey’s speech to Conference: Lib Dems can defeat this awful Government
A powerful selection on Ukraine, a call for Priti Patel to be sacked, a celebration of Chesham and Amersham and North Shropshire, a tribute to Lib Dem by-election stalwart Erlend Watson, a decent gag about Dick Turpin, an evisceration of the Tories over sleaze and partygate (including a call for a public enquiry into Boris […]
A whole systems approach to solving the health and social care crisis
The Health and Social Care Bill currently in the House of Lords is intended to: sort out the under-funding of social care; remove the need for people to sell their houses to pay for their care; promote joined-up service delivery; replace the competitive model with a collaborative one. Sadly, as I wrote here, it appears […]
Why waiting times matter in mental health
18 weeks. That’s the target waiting time, often missed, from referral to being seen. From now in deepest darkest December to Mid April, what an age that is. It’s hard on adults. Arguably harder when that’s how long some of our most distressed young people have to wait for support. 18 weeks or 4 months […]
European health policy and the Conference on the Future of Europe
On the 23rd of October, the Liberal Democrats Abroad and the Liberal Democrats European Group held a discussion session with Irish Senator Timmy Dooley about the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe’s contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. Mr Dooley underlined the importance of hearing British views on Europe’s future, to […]
Dismissing Dysmenorrhea
So, if you have never had bad period pain, how can I convince you that it really is horrible? You know what bad toothache can be like? That sort of immersive pain experience that completely consumes you. There is very little you can do to get relief. Painkillers barely take the edge off. Concentrating on […]
LibLInk: Christine Jardine on the perfect storm that shows up our bad Governments
In her Scotsman column this week, Christine Jardine looks at the “perfect storm” of food and fuel shortages, health service crisis, Covid and high energy prices we are facing at the moment. She argues that the show how bad both UK and Scottish Governments are – and we shouldn’t let them away with blaming Covid […]