Dr Mark Newbold: a rare NHS boss on Twitter

In Health Service Journal’s recent online Twitter chat, NHS consultant anaesthetist Dr Suparna Das tweeted about what a great leveller Twitter is (replying to Joe McCrea of Cogitamus Health Practice):

Blackpool trams are going places. Blackpool can too

I love Blackpool, mainly because of the rides, from sedate Blackpool trams to the rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, culminating in the enormous Big One. There is surely no finer Blackpool experience than plummeting towards the promenade at 87mph, as the sun shines on the sea. Continue reading “Blackpool trams are going places. Blackpool can too”

Olympic football: South Korea, Switzerland and a big hand for Coventry

Yesterday, Mexico defeated Gabon 2-0 then the Republic of Korea worked hard to beat Switzerland 2-1 in group B of the men’s Olympic football tournament. Not the sort of matches that get much attention here – although South Korea and California showed an interest – but a great day out and a great advert for Coventry, which hosted the two matches. Continue reading “Olympic football: South Korea, Switzerland and a big hand for Coventry”

London 2012: NHS confirmed as national religion

To summarise the history of Britain for those who missed last night’s Olympic opening ceremony: the island shire is populated by sheep, ducks and happy peasants inventing cricket, when Isambard Kingdom Brunel kicks off the industrial revolution, forging five rings to rule over all. The peasants protest, winning democracy, equal rights for women (such as to compete in the Olympics) and men (to wear brightly coloured Sergeant Pepper uniforms).

Then the heroic, jiving medical professionals (played by themselves, including 37 from Guy’s and St Thomas – some pictured below – more from Barts Health, pictured a bit further down, yet more from London Ambulance and around 50 from UCLH)* form Great Ormond Street Hospital (which itself contributed three staff and nine patients – pictured further down again in front of the Olympic stadium) and the NHS to look after Britain’s children, and get reinforcement fictional childcare professionals flown in by umbrella to thwart Voldemort and the Child Catcher. Job done, so the Queen and James Bond drop in and everyone watches some films and dances to the Arctic Monkeys. Continue reading “London 2012: NHS confirmed as national religion”

People want trains, a teddy bear and a life expectancy map

If you run a website of any nature, you are likely to look at your web statistics and wonder about what interests people. I have been looking at the data for the six months since I started this blog, and can provide some insights. Turns out people like a teddy bear, but we’ll get to that. Continue reading “People want trains, a teddy bear and a life expectancy map”