Category: Clinical stories

Ian was a general practitioner in Herefordshire and enjoyed his life there immensely. He found that one of the delights of being a doctor in a rural practice was that he was able to blend seamlessly into country life although, like the local vicar, publican, and vet, he was distinguished by virtue of his profession. […]

Charlie was 91 years old and had been widowed some ten years earlier. Determined to retain his independence, he lived alone with his memories. Keeping himself in good shape, he had learned to cook simple meals, had mastered the washing machine and kept his home clean and tidy; he knew that was his wife Marjory […]

A much anticipated event in the hospital calendar in days gone by was the Christmas show. It was a once a year opportunity for the junior doctors and nurses to poke fun at the matron and, of course, the senior doctors. Mostly, the consultants took it in good heart and were disappointed if they did […]

My patient came through the door, waddled into the room, then slowly, and with a sigh, eased himself into the chair. It groaned under his weight and I feared for its safety. One look at him told me he was obese, but the protocol insisted that I had to calculate his Body Mass Index, and […]

Working for the general practitioner’s night call service, I was sitting in our medical centre with Dave Morrison, my regular driver. It was two in the morning and all was quiet. We’d already undertaken a couple of visits, neither terribly dramatic, and were waiting to see what else turned up. If it remained quiet for […]

Alice Fielding, her face lined and anxious, rang her daughter, Mary. Thanks to an earlier call, Mary already knew that her dad had collapse and been rushed to the hospital. She had collected her little girl from the nursery and had been having their dinner when the call came through. She promised to come as […]

Thursday afternoon was the time each week that John set aside for his clerical and administrative work. It was a chance to sit in his room, close the door, and work for a couple of hours, free of interruptions. He started by clearing the requests for repeat prescriptions. It didn’t him take long and was […]

Jim was convalescing in a well known London hospital after an emergency operation to repair a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The major artery that carries all the blood to the lower half of his body, a motorway of a vessel half an inch wide, had suffered a ‘blow out’ such as may occur on a […]

The weather forecast was for fine, sunny weather so I set off for a walk that included a small hill. It was on the way down that I came a cropper. Perhaps I simply wasn’t looking where I was going, but one minute I was strolling along without a care in the world, the next […]

Annie Arnell had known that she was pregnant for at least three months before she plucked up courage to attend the Antenatal Clinic. She knew she should have gone sooner but had a morbid fear of hospitals. She’d had her appendix out as a child and now, even the smell of antiseptic was enough to […]