Opioid addiction, fuelled by OTC medication and prescription pain killers, has reached epidemic proportions in the US but is becoming a growing problem in the UK too. According to a recent BBC News investigation, GPs in England prescribed nearly 24 million opioid-based painkillers in 2017, the equivalent of 2,700 items every hour. ‘As a doctor, I […]
The countdown to the fun of the annual Easter egg hunt has begun and children across the country are getting ready for the excitement of heading off in search of a basket full of chocolatey treats! However, for one mum who has recently spoken out, Easter is a particularly difficult time. The grieving mum took […]
NHS cuts to prescriptions of vitamin D maintenance doses would hit high risk groups, warns National Osteoporosis Society. People needing vitamin D to maintain strong bones will struggle to sustain healthy levels if plans to withdraw maintenance doses under new NHS spending cuts go ahead, the National Osteoporosis Society has warned. In a response to […]
Nurses often sacrifice their own needs to care for others, and this is right and good and expected. Nursing is a profession of selflessness where you give not to receive but to serve those in need. If you lack the ability to deny yourself (as some nurses seem to), then you can come across as […]
Should we always challenge the distorted beliefs of someone with dementia or do inaccurate memories play an important role in helping them to retain key information? Researchers at the University of Birmingham suggest that distorted memories play a role in preserving knowledge for someone with dementia and that the role they play should be evaluated. […]
Early diagnosis is a major focus of the work of Target Ovarian Cancer and we take a three-pronged approach to try and ensure that more women are diagnosed at an early stage when the cancer is still very treatable. Over 7000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year in the UK. Although fewer than […]
One of the most iconic sporting moments in history, Bannister had intended to retire after the 1952 Olympics, but having only come in 4th in the 1500m final, hung on for another two years to make an attempt on the holy grail of middle distance running, the four minute mile. Knowing that two other milers […]
A Tribute to Sir Roger Bannister (1929 – 2018), a towering 20th figure of sport and medicine who went down in history for running the first four-minute mile – but he placed more value on his lifetime achievements as a neurologist at St Mary’s Hospital, London. “The man who can drive himself further once the […]
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The RSM’s meeting, Medicine and Me – Your Mental Health, which took place over the weekend in London, was really an opportunity for doctors and medical students to come together and offer their perspective on how to improve mental health services for those working in medicine. It is something really important because the problem of […]
From a GP’s perspective, I would much rather that a patient made an appointment with me to discuss their concerns about ovarian cancer than decide to wait and see. Make an appointment, even if you think it is nothing. The issue is that bloating is a very common complaint from women of all ages, and […]