In Stitches

I'm the director of a cancer centre and have learnt a thing or two about health and the systems we have to provide care to patients. A disclaimer, I work in Australia, not the NHS, both are universal healthcare systems. This author has a very basic (read nil) understanding of health economics, most of his fantastic ideas would be so expensive a major increase in taxes would be needed to pay for them. The truly sad thing about this book is innocent bystanders will read and "believe" the garbage he trots out. Don't even get me started on the fact this book is a pissant moan from the first to last page. I pity the consultants and hospital managers that have to deal with him. The only true word be said was "you don't have to be a brain surgeon to be a doctor....". In the UK that's true, research shows the average IQ for a UK Doc is around the top 5% of the population, much lower than Aussie standards. The training there is also of a lower standard (UK docs can't just come and work in Aussie). Basically I think that explains a lot. These doctor written true accounts are becoming very popular with publicists snapping them up. That's the only way an author of this quality could get published. Please general public, this guy wouldn't be able to run a health system and is wrong wrong wrong with most of his suggestions. Don't know what his clinical skills are like, hopefully much better than his writing. There are way better books out there analyzing the NHS, if your interested then find and read them. If you like the first hand doc stories there are great ones out there. Try Bodies, it's actually very funny and the author doesn't try to be political. Finally, reading that was embarrassing and I would hate to see one of my hospital colleagues stoop to such levels. Nick, please don't do it again.

Lots of chapters. This book starts you out on a doctors path to care for his patients. It then takes you down his journey to care for his patients against the beaurocracy and the targets set that win political votes, not designed to help people get better. Lots of funny situations, lots of shocking situations, lots of sad situations. Overall a very good book that leaves the reader understanding how difficult and frustrating a job these low paid professionals are doing, and how management (not all) seem to view patient care as a measurable business where 4 hours is sufficient to make everyone better or move them to be someone elses problem, as long as targets are met! A wonderful insight into hospital A&E life, with lots of tongue in cheek comments and laughable claims to keep the reader looking forward to the next chapter.

I skipped through a lot of this book as it was the same rant over and over again - we get it doc, you don't like the way the nhs is run by the government! Kinda feel like I wasted a night shift reading it but am now considering writingy own book - caring for the nation, what it's really like when you are a care assistant. Any publishers out there get at me!