Elsewhere, Dr Crippen discusses the now real prospect of Labour winning the next general election. And, as always, the NHS is central to the arguments.

Back to the grind. The weather does not matter as much now, though irritatingly it is sunny. I was on edge during the last week of the holiday, worrying about how hard it was going to...

A lunchtime phone call from a godson. He qualified as a doctor last year. He has just coming to the end of his F1 year. He wants to be a surgeon. A properly trained surgeon. There are a total of...

An odd report from the BBC today. Naturally, it is provocative. No surprise there. Probably, it is rubbish. Not much surprise there. The report is based upon some odd remarks, probably taken out...

Courses: we have offered our university-accredited courses in minor illness management since 1997. You can attend the two-day Pharmacology course or the three-day Clinical Skills course, or combine the two and then go on to complete our six-month...

Any more good ideas? My drug-sodden old friend Wat Tyler at Burning our Money has just explained in a few hundred words how NHS resources are being squandered. Read Earning your pharmacist an honest crust Tyler may not know, but will not be...

A short piece in the Guardian again today, this time about the alleged mystical healing powers of placentas and Robert van Persie's alleged trip to Serbia for some implausble alternative medicine. Let's just hope that the Quacktitioner Royal does not...

In the United States, approximately 9% of the school-age population is diagnosed with ADHD. It's the most commonly diagnosed behavioral condition in children today. Twice as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD as girls. Concerta The race continues in...

King Andy's guide to faking a sickie It has always suited governments to encourage the long-term unemployed to "discover" an illness and move on to incapacity benefit. The move is easily made, as GPs are a "soft touch" for a sick certificate. But...