Doctors should recommend treatment accompanied by conversations about the pros and cons for the individuals who are in front of them

Weeks before major surgery, a patient cancels his appointment with …

Holistic care for incurably ill people has to include discussions about death and dying – but getting there is hard

It could be her usual generosity or disquiet, subtly disguised, but she leads by ask…

When experienced staff leave, the inexperienced people who replace them need years to gain confidence

Visiting the magnificent Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, my elderly dad resolutely navigated the st…

Far from losing faith or questioning what kind of ‘proper’ doctor would admit they are ‘not sure’, patients seem to appreciate my vulnerability

I have always thought, and still tell prospective medica…

One in six patients is deemed to be dissatisfied and demanding. But to prevent difficult medical problems from being redefined as difficult patients, doctors need help

I once cared for a patient for 1…

As a doctor, I have a front-row seat to the physical, emotional and financial impact on women who find themselves in the role of primary carer

‘Why do you always grip the dashboard like that when I am…

Technical prowess must not come at the cost of good bedside manner – and being able to balance facts with empathy

Some time ago, a judicious and considered surgeon was describing the complex operati…

One of the greatest acts of love is simply bearing witness to the vicissitudes of ageing

Of the many patients over age 75 on my medical unit, half are what providers describe as “young old” and the re…

The vet’s diagnosis of ‘it could be a stomach bug or lymphoma’ was not exactly reassuring but, admittedly, the patient was wagging his tail

Speaking on a panel with me, a paediatric anaesthetist says …

Palliative care decisions are sensitive and complex, but the desire for a good death is as universal as the fact of dying

The uncustomary quiet of a Sunday morning in the emergency department is broke…