Printed from: https://archive.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=issue&id=6056
I arrived in my regiment's depot in Winchester for a new assignment. Brian, an old school acquaintance was also stationed there. He asked me if I would like to go to a meeting where there would be a 'Christian talk'. 'Fine', I thought. I was new in town, needed to...
A call to compassion in healthcare was at the heart of the annual Rendle Short Lecture at the CMF National Conference. Tim Lyttle gave the lecture entitled: 'The NHS in debt and distress: an opportunity for Christian leadership'. 'Medicine is not solely a technical activity and pursuit. Medicine is...
Prison medicine is a fascinating world of interest and challenge, with great opportunities to be innovative. There are plenty of reasons why Christian doctors can contribute positively to this vital area. Sometimes it can be more like casualty than general practice, especially in a remand prison. There may be a...
Your blog post completed, factor 50 sun cream packed, antimalarials started and the last of the jabs completed. People have given, prayed and waved you off, then three months later you're back at work in the NHS, photo adventures uploaded on Facebook and the feel of warm sunshine a distant...
Life would seem to be a drag and I would feel tired. After a week or so it would settle and I would be my usual naturally cheerful self…in retrospect I was suffering from cyclothymia, a sub clinical form of cyclical depression…my cyclothymic episodes continued until the mid 1990s when...
Christian views have come under growing fire in recent months. Doctors who refuse to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women or refuse to provide sex-change operations risk being struck off the medical register, according to new draft guidance issued by the GMC. (1) More broadly, Britain is coming under increasing pressure...
How can CMF support trainee doctors in the UK? That was the question behind a seminar entitled 'Bringing juniors and seniors together' which I co-hosted at the Graduates conference in April with Dr Richard Vincent, Emeritus Professor of Cardiology and Executive Chair of PRIME, and Dr Gemma Sheridan, ST3 Obstetrics...
Several years in the making Foundations has finally been published. It was worth the wait. First, a note about the title... You may be mistaken for thinking this book has been written exclusively for junior doctors in their Foundation Years. Whilst it is an essential read for newly-qualified Christian...
We talk of heaven, but is it for real or is it just a nice idea? In 2003 Todd and Sonja's little boy (not quite four years old) almost died from a ruptured appendix. After his recovery, Colton began talking spontaneously about heaven – how the angels sang for him...
David Wright is a Professor of History at McGill University in Montreal specialising in the history of medicine, disability, philosophy, social history and law. He outlines the history of Down's syndrome from medieval to modern times. Wright is particularly interesting in his tracing of social attitudes which in the...
This is Chris Maggs' cancer journey, written in three parts: 'Jesus has Chemo', 'Jesus has Chemo again', and 'Matters of the Heart' - intriguing headings. The book gives an honest account of his illness and his experiences as an NHS patient attending five different hospitals over the course of his...
Don't be put off by the front cover and title, suggestive of yet another tale in the 'religious conspiracy' genre. The 'scandals' it refers to are the very scandals of Jesus' life, relationships, ministry, and teaching; the author is a scholar in Rabbinics and the New Testament who writes elegantly...
Years later holding hands when we returned to England felt almost conspiratorial' - one of the many memorable phrases from Nick and Ros Henwood's iconic book on cross-cultural living in Nepal. This is the most insightful and readable account of cross-cultural mission to have hit the market for many years....
This book does what it says on the tin - teaches about common mental health problems in primary care, with an emphasis on what generalists rather than specialists need to know. Each chapter gives an overview, the epidemiology, common signs and treatments, and also some pointers on how to screen....
Human dignity has become a much maligned term partly because it is seen as undefinable and inherently theological. Charles Foster's book, which argues that dignity is the only sustainable 'Theory of Everything' in bioethics and law, swims bravely against this tide. Foster argues that dignity is the direct route...
Economic and political changes, increasing health needs and a growing hostility to Christian faith and values add up to one thing: doctors, and especially Christian doctors, are under pressure. Like most issues of Triple Helix, this one covers a broad range of topics but pressure is the unifying theme....
Baby boxes back in Eastern Europe A court case in Germany where a mother was prosecuted for killing her baby by throwing it from a fifth-floor balcony is boosting demand for baby boxes across Central and Eastern Europe. Germany already boasts 99 baby boxes; a heated box, monitored by nurses...
Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was...
Review by Peter Saunders , CMF Chief Executive The BMA has overwhelmingly rejected a motion calling for it to adopt a neutral position on 'assisted dying' at its annual representative meeting at Bournemouth on 27 June. In so doing it has upheld its opposition to any change in the law...
Review by Peter Saunders, CMF Chief Executive On 14 June the General Medical Council's Investigation Committee reprimanded a Christian GP who shared his faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation.1 Dr Richard Scott has now been issued with a warning which will remain on his record...
Review by Philippa Taylor CMF Head of Public Policy In June the BMA held its annual representative meeting, where a motion supporting the universal availability of non-directive counselling for women considering abortion was passed by an 'overwhelming majority' of members. (1,2) This is a small but significant step, recognising...
Review by Steve Fouch, CMF Head of Allied Professions Ministries Pension arrangements considered 'unfair and unnecessary' prompted the BMA to call its members out on the first industrial action since 1975. The walkout on 21 June followed a strong response to a recent ballot. (1) Public support for the strike...
