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I competed in a karate competition recently and found it a bit like surgery: you spend years perfecting technique and getting to know intuitively what might be effective with each person. The NHS needs to retain and value the experience and intuitive competence of doctors, other senior clinicians, and managers. Educating someone for autonomous practice and the ability to deal with complexity is hard.
But other types of educating can sometimes be simple. Knowledge and skills are empowering for staff and patients, as are environments that welcome discussion. In an NHS with minimal money, time, and staff it’s hard to retrofit education and new processes alongside other work, but we can start by focusing on patient education and empowerment.
Social media and advertising have changed how people absorb information, how cultures evolve, and what our “norms” are. The …
Many years ago I wrote a dissertation on convergent evolution, looking at the similarities between humans and aquatic mammals such as whales, seals, and dolphins, who share intelligence, lack of fur, subcutaneous body fat, and longitudinal shape. My intercalated BSc in anthropology involved analysing the arguments around an aquatic phase in human evolution, suggesting that early hominids may have arisen from a prehistoric ape adapted for seashore dwelling, rather than on the savannah. Should we maybe acknowledge the health implications of our possible watery past?
Swimming and other aquatic activities have huge benefits for health and wellbeing. People of all ages and communities can benefit from water’s hydrostatic pressure, as well as improved social connectedness and exercise. For people with back or lower limb problems or obesity the low impact of swimming can make it an ideal mode of exercise, and charities such as Versus …
Discover insights from Cindy Gaines on healthcare challenges, including rising costs, workforce shortages, and perioperative care transformation in 2024.