Force-feeding: There was a time when I would rather die than eat the food in front of me

There was a time when I would rather die than live with the guilt that came after drinking the nutrition substitute that replaced the contents of that plate.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Thursday, 21 June 2012 at 12:19 pm

Doctors’ strike: Is it really just about greed?

Today is the day where doctors (some not all) take industrial action over government planned pension reforms; its arrival set against a backdrop of great controversy and debate.

By Dr Sima Barmania | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Thursday, 21 June 2012 at 12:10 pm

Every mother with their own named midwife? Sounds like an empty promise

Andrew Lansley’s announcement that pregnant women being cared for under the NHS will be provided with a ‘named’ midwife, seems thoroughly unrealistic.

By Grace Jacobson | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Thursday, 17 May 2012 at 5:30 pm

Should we be told how much our healthcare costs?

There NHS is running out of money. We are told this on an almost daily basis and unless you live in a cave, you’ll also know that GPs like me have been told that we are now going to be the people in charge of balancing the books.

By Dr Ben Daniels | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Friday, 20 April 2012 at 10:44 am

Could the mind play a bigger role in healthcare?

As warnings of antibiotics losing their effectiveness are circulated, Tony Lobl argues the power of the mind the heal the body, where tried and tested methods of modern medicine have failed.

By Tony Lobl | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Monday, 26 March 2012 at 12:00 am

Andrew Lansley knows the danger of real voters

The friend of Andrew Lansley was being sought to mount a vigil on the spot where the short Cabinet career of the Health Secretary finally came to a public end.

By Peter McHugh | Notebook, Opinion | Tuesday, 21 February 2012 at 12:05 pm

Not sick enough for hospital, not well enough to cope

Another day, another report concluding that “integration” is what will save a health and social care system that is rapidly descending into further crisis.

By Mike Adamson | Health, Notebook | Wednesday, 8 February 2012 at 11:17 am

The future of the NHS

The ramifications of the NHS bill have rightly been hitting the news this last week. As the government cloaks the reality of what the reforms actually mean, with the platitudes of nicely worded sound bites, my blood pressure has been starting to rise. My constant dinner table rants about how the NHS will turn into an Americanised system of privatised care deceptively disguised under the logo of the NHS, have started to annoy my wife.

By Nick Edwards | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Monday, 30 January 2012 at 11:30 am

Volunteering: Appreciating how bittersweet life can be

Many of us like the idea of volunteering but find plenty of excuses not to.

Steve Watkins talks about how his personal experience of dementia helped him take the plunge.

By Steve Watkins | Health, Notebook, Opinion | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 12:01 am

The Road to Recovery: “Hooray, I’ve got crutches. But it’s the NHS that needs supporting.”

It’s hard to describe just how thrilling the apparently mundane event of receiving a pair of crutches was for me. I’d equate it with passing my A levels, receiving my degree, landing my first job on a national newspaper.

By James Moore | Health, Notebook | Monday, 5 September 2011 at 5:17 pm