In the preface to his tome, the English historian and antiquarian Thomas Wright used the words that it was “a book of life among the working classes”. He wrote that at the very least, the lower classes deserved the book’s title “The Great Unwashed” (London, 1868). How judgemental, divisive and socially offensive this seems today. …
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Covid and mRNA vaccines – a bit of truth
To trigger an immune response, vaccines have traditionally put a weakened or inactivated bacterium or virus into our bodies. That’s is a potential problem with highly virulent viruses such as Covid. Instead, mRNA vaccines use ‘Messenger RNA’ created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein or even just a piece …
Empathy
Apparently empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, is the new interactive quality we should all be showing. While it’s not clear exactly how humans experience empathy, there is a growing body of research on the topic. While sympathy and compassion are related to empathy, there are important differences. Sympathy and …
Vaxxers and anti-vaxxers
I wrote the bones of this a year ago. But then we knew nothing of Covid-19, and we would not have believed what was about to arrive. Now, with all we have suffered, and with a Covid-19 vaccine arriving, maybe this is much more relevant. The cow might have saved more lives than any other …
The Doves and the Hawks of Covid
Covid, not to exaggerate, has ravaged our nation. The lockdown was severe in every regard – social, financial, employment, commerce, education, childcare, transport, aviation, leisure, mental health, sport, hospitality, religious gatherings, weddings, funerals, civil liberties and more. Of course, at the outset we knew so little of this disease that was galloping through the world, …
A career’s reflection on the NHS part 2 – pre Covid 19
Political intervention is usually unhelpful and cross party working is needed Over my 47 years, reorganisations, new systems, new contracts and new targets all came in different colours. But during my life as an A&E Consultant, I have witnessed a lot of 2nd World care. If anyone believes A&E is in a sudden crisis they …
Continue reading “A career’s reflection on the NHS part 2 – pre Covid 19”
A career’s reflection on the NHS
It is early 2020. We have missed the A&E target for 4 years. A&E waits make headlines, and some predict being charged massively overpriced sums for drugs as Trump claims rights to the NHS as the price of a trade deal. And privatisation is apparently the secret agenda anyway. But what are the facts, the …
Back on line!
There has been a Johnnies blog silence for a number of weeks. It was partly that I was sorting out the ‘Johnnies Blog’ domain, and partly that with the election, I did not want to post anything that could be construed as political. Especially as I had been researching the last few decades of medical …
Chlorine washed chicken
This is a strange topic for a blog, I hear you say. But I am so aware that many people automatically think chlorine washed chicken must be bad. After all, Donald Trump wants it, so it has to be. But as a medic I want to speak to fact, and challenge views. And, at the …
Peace
Humans apparently have several basic needs. Food, security, shelter and warmth feature among them. The Bible tells us that peace is one of them also. The Aaronic blessing (Num 6:24-26) promises peace, (The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn …
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