Alternative ways to manage long-term pain

When managing long-term pain in the pain clinic, we rely on all our skills as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and so on. We use our skills, which are mostly based in mainstream, ‘Western’ disciplines, to best effect, yet sometimes we can feel limited in what our conventional approaches can achieve for our patients. On 25th […]

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Dr Huda Taha: the end of HIV debate

Dr Taha Huda, a member of the Royal Society of Medicine’s sexuality and sexual health council, was one of the speakers against the motion at the recent Hippocratic Post debate The end of HIV? It is my privilege to take part in this debate: The End of HIV? Firstly, it is important to consider the […]

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People need pets: how dogs can help children read

Dr Emma Vardy is speaking today at the Royal Society of Medicine’s meeting, People ‘need’ pets: exploring the psycho-social benefits of the human/animal relationship. ‘We know that animals can be beneficial when it comes to improving mental health and wellbeing. Therapy dogs, which are specially selected and trained because of their calm, placid natures, are […]

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Empathy makes you a better doctor

It’s just common sense that doctors who have empathy make better doctors. However, until now, the benefit to patients has not been quantified, which makes it difficult for doctors and quality controllers to put a value on being nice. For our research paper, which is published in the latest issue of the Journal of the […]

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Medicine and Me – Your Mental Health

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 […]

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Successful Ageing

Many more people are living longer in the UK, which is great news, but also means we have to look carefully at health care, social care and how we integrate older and younger people in society. The one-day conference at the Royal Society of Medicine, at which I will be speaking, is looking at Successful […]

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My incurable lung cancer by PHE director

I’m happy to be open about the fact that I have incurable lung cancer and I’m also the medical director of Public Health England. I can’t entirely separate the two but this blog is more about my personal take on living and dying and I’m not speaking on behalf of PHE. I’m 54 years old […]

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Cathie Pilkington RA at the Royal Society of Medicine

Cathie Pilkington

Earlier this week Professor Cathie Pilkington RA delivered the Royal Society of Medicine’s 2018 annual arts, society and medicine lecture to a packed auditorium of medics and artists. Cathie Pilkington RA, who was born in Manchester, was elected as a Royal Academician in 2014 and was the first ever female professor of sculpture in the […]

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Recent developments in digital health

Everyone is talking about digital health, but what sorts of things does it include? Telemedicine is the real time interactions between patient and doctors using digital communications, and also remote peer to peer consultations on medical topics. Telehealth covers patient monitoring, for example patients using blood pressure monitors which relay data into secure systems which […]

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The rising tide of violent trauma in A&E

In London we have seen in A&E centres a 30% increase in penetrating violent trauma and 75% increase in firearms related injury in the last 12 months. Many urban communities in the UK have suffered repeated physical and psychological trauma from a crescendo of societal violence. For many of our most vulnerable children, emotional, physical […]

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