Category: Personal stories

My anxiety increased with every step, as I walked from the station to Manchester University’s imposing Whitworth Hall. I was on my way to discover whether I had passed the final medical school examination. Arriving just after 9.30 I paused, took a long deep breath, then opened the door of this historic building. This was […]

When patients are grateful for the care they receive, be it in hospital, in the GP’s surgery or at home, they often express their gratitude and leave small gifts for the doctors and nurses. The doctors are ‘marvellous’ the nurses ‘angels’. So they may be and such recognition can be great motivating factors. But what of all […]

Jimmy was 28 years old when I first met him. He was good looking, 5 feet 10 inches tall, slightly built, a keen football fan but also a violent criminal with severe mental health problems. Arrested, tried and found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm, he received a custodial sentence. Later he was referred to […]

Thursday 5th July 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the NHS so this week, instead of relating a story, I offer you a bit of history; a factual account of my life as a resident doctor 52 years ago. The year was 1966, the year in which England won the World Cup. Could this be […]