The current junior doctors’ strike is part of a broader drama playing out within the NHS. It is not just the well-publicised arguments over headline salaries, but the unsociable hours, abuse, night shifts, and a pay system that’s as flexible as a steel girder. Then there is the bureaucracy, support (or lack of it) and […]
Joe was a six-week-old baby, struggling to breathe and on the brink of having a respiratory arrest when I was called to attend him as a junior doctor on an intensive care unit in Cambridge 20 years ago. He had spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and paralysis. Even if […]
The UK is at a critical point in its history. Brexit, a new economic framework and a recalibrating Labour Party rub up alongside the dash to carbon neutral, the impacts of AI and, of course, Covid-19. The decisions that are taken now will set the direction of the country for years to come. When we look […]
We want more greenery. We want to address climate change. We want to attract people back to our small towns and villages. We want to improve health and well-being. We want devolution. We want to empower people with more control. Perhaps more than anything, we want to rebuild active communities – indeed the drift away […]
It’s election time, so arguments over waiting times and who is going to give the NHS the most money are all but inevitable. That’s politics, but it’s also a symptom of a certain kind of tunnel vision. It’s crucial that the public understand that lack of money is not the only reason hospitals are failing […]
“Daddy, Daddy. Can we clean your car?”My then three and five-year-olds came bouncing up full of enthusiasm. “How much?”I asked. “£1”. Their opening offer. 50p. My counter offer. “Deal”. And off they set. Dropping the sponge in the gravel and scouring the paintwork. A few minutes later they were finished, with my car […]
I know how we can unite the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems and UKIP. David Cameron does too. He did it once before. Remember? It was his first U-turn. Back in the heady days of 2010. The Coalition’s proposal to privatise forests led to a surge of activism and anger across social classes, geographies and political […]
William has done well. Identified at school as bright, received extra support. He’s the first generation in his family to go to university, encouraged by university outreach to increase working class numbers and meet quotas. For him, like many others, the future and opportunities are in the boom economy cities of the south. But most […]
Case 1. Baby James was born severely disabled and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. His distraught parents were reassured that there was a very low risk of recurrence in future pregnancies and James’ deficit was pure bad luck and not their fault. He entered the local care pathway with complex and intensive multi-disciplinary team support. […]
