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A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:11 am
by PeteSpencer
If any of you have children who want to read medicine, are already at medical school or who are embarking on the career ladder as a’junior doctor’ ( they will still be junior doctors age 38) then this book is a ‘must read’

Even if you are in none of these categories it is a good read for those on here who perpetually moan about their/their relatives bad NHS experiences.

You will laugh out loud, you will cry and if like me you followed exactly the same path nearly 50 years ago (except that I don’t remember calling my speciality of Obstetrics & Gynaecology ‘brats and twats’). you will nod knowingly.

Without meaning to introduce a spoiler you will say ’what a f*cking waste.’

It’s entitled ‘This is going to hurt’ by. Dr Adam Kay pub. Picador ISBN 978-1-5098-5863-7

Available in paperback on Amazon.

Absolutely no connection with the author except to say I was horrified and ashamed that little has changed for junior doctors since the 1970s: In fact things seem a bloody sight worse.

Peter (NHS survivor)

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:04 am
by Lindsayp
I saw that in Waterstones recently and was tempted. Might now get it next time I'm there.

Mind you, saying that junior doctors are getting older, I notice on the sort of A&E reality shows that my wife, bless her, watches, that many consultants seem to be still wearing shorts, ie are very young. I prefer consultants to have white hair and look grizzled from an NHS career or plump on high earnings from private, so is the "reality tv" showing an unreal view?

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:43 am
by Nick
Miss, Miss, he said Obstetrics & Gynaecology ‘brats and twats’).

This tread will be locked next. :wink:

Nick

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:50 am
by Bill McCarthy
During long laborious steady steaming conditions at sea we often used to break out the BRs ( books of reference) on emergency medical procedures, and other stuff, that may be required since no doctor was carried on board. These were kept in the engineers office (a big cupboard really) in the engine room, for some strange reason. Can you imagine an unqualified person having to open up a crew member to remove an appendix say. The one on tropical diseases was a bit of an eye opener. You don’t want to know how a tooth was removed from a bleating fella who thought that everyone should know of his plight !

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:09 pm
by NickS
In the absence of a handy Russian ship (who all carried doctors and were generally very helpful when required), I once stitched someone’s hand when the Chief Steward couldn’t bring himself to do it. My only qualifications were a strong stomach and “you were in the Scouts so you must have had to sew on badges”.

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:28 pm
by PeteSpencer
Lindsayp wrote:I saw that in Waterstones recently and was tempted. Might now get it next time I'm there.

Mind you, saying that junior doctors are getting older, I notice on the sort of A&E reality shows that my wife, bless her, watches, that many consultants seem to be still wearing shorts, ie are very young. I prefer consultants to have white hair and look grizzled from an NHS career or plump on high earnings from private, so is the "reality tv" showing an unreal view?


You misunderstood:
All hospital doctors in training below the grade of Consultant are known as 'junior doctors'.

Way back when, a junior doctor for the more competitive specialities could expect to be between 38 and 40+ before becoming a Consultant. I was 38 having qualified lateish (due to the requirements of Camb Univ) at age 25.

It took, typically 30,000 hours to train, for example a General Surgeon. Consultants in some specialities were often appointed earlier (anaesthetics, psychiatry), aged 32-4.

Now the training is accomplished in 8,000 hours.
Draw your own conclusions.

Peter

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:26 pm
by Chris Martyr
PeteSpencer wrote: little has changed for junior doctors since the 1970s: In fact things seem a bloody sight worse.)


Could that be a reason why their humour [ an example of which is in your post] is so much to the fore Pete ?
Similar examples of this gallows type humour is also evident in the Undertaking profession I believe.
Having worked one or two years in the aviation profession , I have seen countless examples of ; downsizing , department re-shuffles , redundancies , 911,,,,,,,,, All of which is very stressful ! ,,,[ask me why I know this]
But what is the vital ingredient of survival in all these situations ? I seem to remember that Readers Digest had a column titled , " Laughter , the Best Medicine" .

Could we survive without it ? Yes , probably we could !

But should such totalitarian attitudes be encouraged ?

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:18 pm
by PeteSpencer
Chris Martyr wrote:
PeteSpencer wrote: little has changed for junior doctors since the 1970s: In fact things seem a bloody sight worse.)



But what is the vital ingredient of survival in all these situations ? I seem to remember that Readers Digest had a column titled , " Laughter , the Best Medicine" .

Could we survive without it ? Yes , probably we could !



In my day it was getting rat- ar sed when off duty and cigarettes for some.
But Black Humour was way up there too.

Peter :wink:

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:28 pm
by PeteSpencer
Lindsayp wrote:I saw that in Waterstones recently and was tempted. Might now get it next time I'm there.

Mind you, saying that junior doctors are getting older, I notice on the sort of A&E reality shows that my wife, bless her, watches, that many consultants seem to be still wearing shorts, ie are very young. I prefer consultants to have white hair and look grizzled from an NHS career or plump on high earnings from private, so is the "reality tv" showing an unreal view?


A & E consultancy used to be a pretty unpopular posting and as a result there were often unfilled vacancies which meant horrendous hours on duty for remaining Consultants.

A couple of appointees at the hospital I used to work left in pretty short order for larger hospitals with less onerous rotas.

The other downside used to be that the A & E consultant just became a 'sorter' and had no say in continuing care of his admissions, a key requirement for NHS job satisfaction.

I understand this has been addressed in recent years, giving A & E consultants responsibility for inpatient beds of their own.
Peter

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jan 04, 2019 6:27 pm
by Jim Jones
Got this for Christmas.
Takes me back, grim humour, love it! :thumright:

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:05 pm
by TheKentishFledgling
Saw his show at the Edinburgh festival in August - just brilliant. Mrs tKF currently reading the book and then I will.

His old musical comedy duo (with another Doc, I believe) Amatuer Transplants are worth a listen too - but very NSFW!

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Sat Jan 05, 2019 6:17 am
by Katamarino
Mention is briefly made in that book of Dr Sophia Webster's flight around Africa in a C182, performing medical training and other work in remote and interesting places. I was her pilot :mrgreen:

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Sat Jan 05, 2019 6:32 am
by Flyin'Dutch'
Katamarino wrote:Mention is briefly made in that book of Dr Sophia Webster's flight around Africa in a C182, performing medical training and other work in remote and interesting places. I was her pilot :mrgreen:


Name dropper!

:D

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:08 am
by Flyingfemme
Thanks for the heads up. My local library has it in ebook format; currently on loan but I’m next in the queue. Wonderful thing, technology 8)

Re: A Book for all you NHS moaners

PostPosted:Sat Jan 05, 2019 11:18 am
by Boxkite
'sfunny how an ebook can't be in more than one place at the same time............. :lol: