Books: Staying Alive: How to Get the Best From The NHS

摘要

Dr Phil Hammond, the GP and journalist, believes that our healthcare systems have become so splintered, and care sometimes so poor, that patients now have to take initiatives to protect themselves. It is you, the patient, who has to coordinate your care and carry your records with you; connect with your doctor by fostering a good relationship from the start (hold out your hand to shake when you meet); query the diagnosis (15% of GP diagnoses are wrong) if your thoughts don’t match your doctor’s and ask ‘what else could this be?’; ask what would happen if you did nothing; ask for a second opinion if you remain doubtful, or if the recommended treatment is invasive, toxic, or long-term; check out hospital specialists’ outcome figures; and ask to be referred to a specialist centre for any rare or difficult disease. These and many other initiatives are set forth in this remarkable book, written with humour and humanity.