Motoring & LeisureBook & Audiobook Reviews"In Stitches" - life on the coal face of the NHS. "In Stitches" - life on the coal face of the NHS.
By Jayne Warren - 04/12/2007
I'll have to front up on this review - I am going to be unashamedly gushing about this brilliant book, "In Stitches: The Highs and Lows of Life as an A&E Doctor". Not only did it make me laugh my socks off, it was also informative, gritty, touching, and above all, so honest!
Written by Dr Nick Edwards - a real A & E doctor, of course - he started it as a sort of tongue in cheek diary to cope with the highs, lows, stresses and frustrations of his everyday life. And out if it came an inside view on NHS reforms, government strangulation of hands-on work through endless petty "targets" - and precious insight into a remarkable man whose loving commitment to the NHS and its core values survives the most challenging situations.
You may be thinking that a book about A&E isn't exactly going to be a bundle of laughs. But you would be wrong - so very wrong. From X-Ray patients going AWOL, working with male menstrual syndrome and feeling the wrath of GP receptionists to negotiating with drunks and treating patients with ‘arrest avoidance syndrome’, "In Stitches" charts the highs and lows of working in the National Health Service today.
And you can discover: how to be a good A&E patient and get seen quickly, 101 things that would make doctors’ lives easier, the importance of banter at work, and why closing A&E departments may not be such a good idea - despite what the government suggests.
Please buy yourself or someone else this book - especially if they are in the NHS. It will guarantee laughter over Christmas! "In Stitches: The Highs and Lows of Life as an A&E Doctor" is available from the website linked below, or visit your local bookshop. priced £7.99.