Cancer is traumatising. It is universal, leaving no family untouched. I saw this first-hand. Cancer took my first wife, Olympia, in 2001. To repeat what I wrote in my memoirs, that experience showed me that whatever may be said in criticism of the NHS, the capacity of the system to deliver high quality, sophisticated treatment […]
Op-eds
Inequality in society harms our mental health – how can we fix it?
“Wealth is not a measure of worth. But low income is related to feelings of inferiority.” Across a range of countries, studies have shown, the experience of poverty leads to people believing they have failed themselves for being poor, and accepting that others feel like that about them. This is part of the remarkable findings […]
Happy Anniversary!
Embed from Getty Images It’s hot, and our regular supply of posts from you, dear readers, seems to have melted away. But we can’t let today go by without acknowledging the 70th Anniversary of the NHS. Of course, we can’t do it justice in a short piece, but we can be proud that, for all […]
With more money coming to the NHS do we need to rethink how it’s spent?
While some of the major health think tanks such as The King’s Fund say the announced 3.4% increase in annual NHS spending is not enough – and I would agree with that – can we at least use the additional NHS funding more efficiently? I would say it might be worth looking at changing some […]
Theresa May shamelessly takes up discredited Leave campaign slogan
Most of my memories of the Leave campaign involve the blatant lies it told. 77 million Turks, we were told, would pretty much be here the day after we voted Remain, according to their literature. And the biggest lie of all was emblazoned on the side of a bus. £350 million a week for the […]
The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Annual Report
The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Annual Report was published recently by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. In it are harrowing statistics of people with learning disabilities dying far too young. The report highlights the extraordinarily high incidences of preventable death. The Connor Sparrowhawk case has brought this to public attention recently: a young man with […]
Children’s mental health – the Government is not getting it right
I’m following up my post from February on children’s mental health and the Government’s Green Paper on the issue. Yesterday, the Education Committee and Health & Social Care Committee issued a joint statement saying that The Government’s proposed Green Paper on Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health lacks ambition and will provide no help to […]
New report out shows more paediatric consultants needed
As a mother of three, we have been to A & E more times than I would have liked and have had help from paediatricians and other consultants. The NHS is wonderful! But sorely understaffed. A report out today by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, “Facing the Future Audit 2017”, has recommended […]
Young Lib Dem Councillor Ben Lawrie talks about his experience of Depression
I feel incredibly proud to know Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillor Ben Lawrie who has talked about his experience of Depression in this short film. It takes courage and You should be aware before you watch it that it includes his description of an attempt to take his life. He wants to share his experience to […]
The dire state of mental health services
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s recent report on mental health provision is damning. Titled Maintaining momentum: driving improvements in mental health care, Rob Behrens’ analysis confirms what we already know: mental health services are in crisis and people are suffering and dying because of it. The case studies are harrowing. Mr Behrens’ says: The […]