Fresh air, playtime and empathy with incontinence — my patient’s return to the toddler room
Change is difficult to accept at both ends of life. I once witnessed (via video chat) my grandson, then aged two-and-a-half, arrive home from childcare…
Opinion
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
Why isn’t this relatively cheap treatment for major depression more widely available?
Recently, I spoke with AusDoc about my journey from psychiatry inpatient to medical student — via some electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This period was an important…
$250,000 for a private investigator? You won’t believe the ludicrous legal costs in this medical negligence claim
This opinion piece is about the ludicrously high legal costs claimed for in a medical negligence claim. The only facts I have to work with…
Porn, lobster and a bag of faeces: The weird and wonderful items patients have brought me
Thinking back over my three-and-a-half decades of GP practice, I have been surprised by the diversity of things my patients have brought along to me. …
It’s time to stop dancing around VAD and properly integrate it into end-of-life care
Talking about death with patients is never easy, and the topic of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) adds an extra layer of complexity and sensitivity. VAD…
My message to younger doctors: Step up, not away, as your patients reach their end
Once upon a time, a wiser, older and more silvery fox than I began to dabble in the newly recognised area of palliative care. Previously,…
Expecting GPs to bulk-bill is absurd: It’s like asking hairdressers to pay for cutting hair
I’m just starting out in general practice, but I’m already exhausted with politicians making promises that aren’t theirs to make and weighing in on issues…
Why are we so quick to criticise other doctors when things go wrong?
Why are we so ready to criticise colleagues? We’re encouraged to develop empathy for our patients. Why can’t we be empathetic towards each other? ×…
The tragedy of baby Robbie: We need to talk about meningococcal B
Every doctor has patients they can’t forget. Sometimes, they are not even our own patients. But for all kinds of reasons, their stories stay with…
Albanese and Dutton scrub up for a Medicare face-off, but there’s more at stake in this election
With the first full week of the election campaign health has already become a key battleground for votes alongside tackling cost-of-living pressures. Prime Minister Anthony…
