Big Bias (video here) may be the most important lecture I have ever given. Its not easy. The bottom line is that Clinical Trials don't work. For everyone working in health (medical Catholics), this is a bit like saying the Pope is not infallible. We have a great problem with this, partly because our response is - If not the Pope, then who? - the idea that no-one is … [Read more...] about Does My Bias Look Big in This?
Journalists and Doctors
The image is of legendary journalist Bill Haddad who did more to grapple with pharmaceutical corruption than anyone else. The opening lines of A Pill for Neoliberalism, as delivered, about the job of doctors and journalists being very similar, were not part of the transcript in last week’s post. The remarks came to me as a large crowd of media and journalism students … [Read more...] about Journalists and Doctors
RxISK Newsletter re Samizdat Launch
RxISK has just launched a writer's co-operative - Samizdat-Health and Samizdat House - for non-fiction and fiction publications falling outside the boundaries of the sanctioned conversation on issues thrown up by health. Launching a new set of imprints like this has become necessary, because publishing about treatment-related difficulties has become increasingly problematic … [Read more...] about RxISK Newsletter re Samizdat Launch
Sex Antidepressants and Neo-Liberalism
This is the French translation of what was said at a lecture in Grenoble on October 14th and in the Lyon the following day. The numbers below should correspond closely with the slides. The english is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFgTFXXChi0&pbjreload=10 1/ Sur cette radiographie, vous voyez une épaule cassée. Je suis tombé dans la douche un vendredi matin. … [Read more...] about Sex Antidepressants and Neo-Liberalism
The Decapitation of Care: The Healthcare Manifesto
Samizdat has just launched The Decapitation of Care on Amazon -- in English (print and kindle) and La santé décapitée in French (kindle) with French print in a few days time and El Fin Del Cuidado; Una breve historia del auge y caída de la atención médica in Spanish both print and kindle very soon after. The illustrations by Billiam James are a key element of this … [Read more...] about The Decapitation of Care: The Healthcare Manifesto
Neo-culturalism
This post first appeared on Samizdat Health. Anyone who wants early notifications of things appearing there should follow @SamizdatHealth on Twitter and the Samizdat Health Facebook page. Members of Samizdat will initially include anyone contributing material in book or other art form but we will look to develop a Friends of Samizdat group also. Last week's post … [Read more...] about Neo-culturalism
Samizdat Health
Editorial Note: This post first featured on Samizdat Health, which later this month will publish The Decapitation of Care. Samizdat Health - a writer’s co-operative that has taken shape in responses to changes in health and in publishing - will be borne this month. This post copies the feature on SamizdatHealth.org The original Samizdat was an underground messaging … [Read more...] about Samizdat Health
‘Tis the Season to Rebel
In the Beginning The conventional story is that Good created the world but that at some point after the Creation a group of Rebel Angels figured they could do a better job of running the show. They took on the Almighty and lost – we are told. You can view Lucifer, Beelzebub or the Satan, as evil beyond comprehension seducing humans into the all too human evils of … [Read more...] about ‘Tis the Season to Rebel
Spotlight on the Suicides: Behind the Scenes
Following their Spotlight on the Troubles series, BBC ran an astonishing Behind the Scenes program that must have left even those who thought they knew what happened in the Northern Irish Troubles doubt that they really knew what was going on. The revelations turned the Troubles into a real life version of John Le Carre's Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Spy. But Northern Ireland … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: Behind the Scenes
Spotlight on the Suicides: Women and Knights (?)
I had no reply to the letter sent in September featured in last week’s post - Spotlight on the Politicians. Michelle O’Neill had a nothing response to a letter she sent the Northern Ireland Office. Vaughn Gething’s office (Wales Health Minister), when asked, acknowledged receipt of the letter but figured they had only been sent it for information – there was no need for them … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides: Women and Knights (?)