Author: admin

I am certain that many folk reading this (well certainly the older ones amongst you) will remember the book written by Richard Gordon entitled Doctor in the House. Richard Gordon was a doctor; his name in real life being Gordon Ostler. He worked for a time as an anaesthetist at St Bartholomew’s Hospital where he […]

The year was 1969 and I was keen to train as a nurse. My two children, a boy and a girl, were now of an age and growing up, allowing me time and energy to plan a career. I was living in Perth at the time and an advert in the local paper just fell […]

I started my nurse training at Park Hospital, Davyhulme in August 1985. It was not quite the days of Matron, aprons, starched hats and silver belt buckles – although the latter two were holding out in some quarters. It was still very hierarchical but informality was beginning to replace the rigid structure of old. It […]

Dr Julie Smith was coming to the end of a busy family planning clinic. During a long and tiring day, she had discussed the merits of contraceptive pills, caps, condoms, coils, implants and surgery over and over again. She feared the disenchantment she felt might become apparent to her patients, or clients, as her boss […]

On 19 July 2010 I had been blue-lighted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, because my General Practitioner was concerned I was losing consciousness. Following triage, I was scuttled away for a scan of my brain. (See image )  Whilst I was fading into a coma, a doctor told my wife Anne that it was necessary to […]

Hospital life has changed enormously over the last 60 years, no more so than in the way that Christmas is celebrated. In those days a unique seasonal atmosphere developed during Christmas week and for those of us who were fortunate enough to be resident at that time, celebrating Christmas in hospital was a memorable experience. […]

Paul entered the committee room with some trepidation but was grateful when Mr Weston, his consultant boss, beckoned him to sit in an adjacent chair. This was his first appearance representing the junior doctors at the consultants’ meeting. After ‘apologies for absence’ had been noted and the minutes of the previous meeting agreed and signed, […]

On the evening of 7 June 2010, I was being pursued on my 1100cc Moto Guzzi Breva around Suffolk lanes by a RoSPA observer who would pass comment on my ride. However, events shifted because I blacked out whilst approaching a tight left-hand bend, hit a grass verge, and flew with serene motocross elegance into a […]

Alan was a four year old boy who had been on the children’s ward for several weeks. His strength was slowly slipping away. On his ‘good’ days, he would play with the other children, enjoying the toys and teddy bears that they invariably had – but he had not. On his ‘bad’ days he was […]

‘Telephone for you, Mr Lambert.’ I groaned; why, oh why, do people have to ring in the middle of my Monday clinic interrupting me when I’m busy with a patient. ‘Is it urgent?’ I ask of the nurse who had brought the message. Apparently it was so I apologised to the ‘dishabille’ patient. The caller […]