Thousands of ‘escalation’ beds needed year-round

BMA research shows hospitals in England are regularly using thousands of ‘escalation’ beds, normally for emergencies or spikes in demand.

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The Doctor magazine

Nature’s remedy: doctors in Shetland give ‘green prescriptions’

09 July 2019

If you need a prescription in Shetland, you might just be prescribed the islands themselves. Peter Blackburn reports from a nature-based scheme which could have far-reaching influence.
The Doctor (July 2019, issue 11)

09 July 2019

Meet the doctor who looked after Apollo 11’s astronauts, ‘nature prescriptions’ in Shetland, and why a lack of politicians isn’t all good in Northern Ireland.
Healthcare pressures mount in Northern Ireland’s political vacuum

08 July 2019

A lack of politicians might seem superficially attractive, but while the Northern Ireland Assembly lies dormant, the pressure on doctors is rising.

Get involved in your regional council, champion colleagues and influence change

Regional councils provide a forum for discussing matters of regional interest and issues affecting the profession across all branches of practice in 10 regions of England.
OK doctors, which part of the body looks most like a seagull?

It’s funny, the things you remember from medical school. Were The Doctor not a family-friendly magazine I would mention the useful mnemonic which helped me learn the cranial nerves, or the equally colourful one for the carpal bones.
Not prescribing drugs has side effects too

The roses are lovely. But it’s the thorns I’ll land on if I jump out of the window.

Neil Armstrong's doctor

When Neil Armstrong's crew returned to earth, it was flight surgeon Bill Carpentier who looked after them. Fifty years on, he tells us about his weeks quarantined with the moonwalkers.
The hard road back

Alastair Watt was a respected and hard-working consultant. His death raises serious questions about how the NHS looks after its doctors when they return to work after illness.
A place of refuge?

Squalid and overcrowded – we visit one of the largest refugee camps in Greece.
Streets of Shame

Homelessness and the NHS - a tome of tragedies
Born of injustice

Separated at Birth junior doctor and mother of two is back in family court, under very different circumstances.
Separated at birth

The impact of poor access to mental healthcare during pregnancy.
Waiting games

Nikki Mattocks has struggled with her mental health her whole life, owing to experiences such as bullying, trauma and abuse. Read her story here.
An end to market madness?

Quietly, the NHS is being reorganised by health leaders but the pace of change is being forced by frontline services buckling under pressure of increased demand and diminishing resources.
When a doctor calls for help

Dr Meng Aw-Yong explores the impact of a GMC investigation and where doctors can turn for support.
Care across boundaries

How volunteering in the UK and abroad benefits doctors and the countries that host them.
Enjoy your elective

Follow these medical students and their elective journeys in Malta, Australia, New Zealand, the Himalayan region of India, and at home in the UK.
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