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Medicine does not have all the answers … says a doctor Medicine does not have all the answers … says a doctor
(2 months later)
As a medical student I marvelled at the magic little As a medical student I marvelled at the magic little pills could do. I watched fatal malarial fevers dissipate and resolve, I saw suppurating, oozing wounds smooth over and heal, cancers regress and disappear under the wondrous effects of little coloured capsules and tablets. The power of modern western medicine can be awe-inspiring.
pills could do. I watched fatal malarial fevers dissipate and resolve, But the more experienced I became, the more I began to realise that for all its wonders there are many things modern medicine cannot come close to healing or even understanding. We may have pills to unclot blood and clear clogged arteries but we have nothing for a broken heart or lonely soul. Our biomedical model of illness and disease can do much but it lacks a lot.
I saw suppurating, oozing wounds smooth over and heal, cancers regress and disappear How does a dying woman hang on until her grandchild is born, how are so many more boys than girls born after great wars, what is the placebo effect and how does it work? These are some of the many things we cannot explain and so we dismiss them as oddities or anomalies in science. We fail to realise and acknowledge the complex context of the person that has the illness. As Hippocrates said: "It is more important to understand what sort of person has a disease, than what sort of disease a person has." There is no pill which will have everything we need to make us healthy and there never will be.
under the wondrous effects of little coloured capsules and tablets. The power of modern In my career I have met some awful doctors and some exceptional ones. The exceptional ones have taught me that medicine is an act of love and brotherhood. That true healing comes from people, not machines or chemicals or protocols or pathways but from us all to each other. It comes from art and companionship and love and trust.
western medicine can be awe-inspiring. Several years ago I visited the Bromley-by-Bow GP clinic. I was struck by the story of a group of elderly Bangladeshi widows. These women who had relied entirely on their husbands and were completely isolated by deep cultural and language barriers. They almost all suffered with poorly controlled diabetes and were regular attendees of the local AE and GP surgery.
But the more experienced I became, the more I began to The surgery started a gardening group for these women and as they got out and exercised and laughed and gardened together they developed a network of support. Their diabetic control improved and they became significantly less frequent visitors to AE and the GP. Watching how this group worked was one of several factors that inspired me and my partners to focus, through our medical clinic, on wellbeing. Specifically we work on six areas of wellbeing: lifestyle, participation, relaxation, support, security and environment.
realise that for all its wonders there are many things modern All these areas need to be considered and addressed in the assessment and promotion of wellbeing. It is hard to complete your chemotherapy if you are suffering abuse at home. Your obstructive lung disease will deteriorate and not respond to normal medical treatment if your home environment includes damp and squalid conditions. Recent studies show loneliness is a bigger risk factor for having another heart attack than not taking statin medication (the current gold standard treatment).
medicine cannot come close to healing or even understanding. We may have pills If the NHS is to survive then we must look at the big picture of health and wellbeing. We have developed a dependence on medicine which is not sustainable. There are many cheap, local and effective treatments which do not involve darkening the doors of our struggling hospitals or GP consulting rooms. We need to look to each other to provide participation, security and support to our neighbours, friends and colleagues.
to unclot blood and clear clogged arteries but we have nothing for a broken Our clinic in Brighton is the first integrated NHS GP practice. We use a wide range of therapies, including acupuncture, massage and osteopathy, and as these therapies are not part of the NHS we have set up a charity to fund them for people on low incomes. We also have a centre where we offer therapies in the visual, literary and performance arts as well as support and companionship groups. Some have questioned our actions. Of course the biomedical model of the body acupuncture makes no sense. However, if I look back at the history of western medicine and how it has evolved over the millennia, doctors have done some wonderful and some awful things in their attempts to help and relieve sickness. They have often held misguided views for too long and failed to accept new ideas or listen to patient experiences with an open mind. In short for all its greatness the consistent failing of modern medicine has been its arrogance. Our model of the body explains a lot but it does not explain everything.
heart or lonely soul. Our biomedical model of illness and disease can do much Perhaps the answer to the conundrum of how to meet the ever increasing demand on the NHS is to extend the parameters of primary care past the role of the medic and into the arena of wellbeing? I have been hugely humbled by the amount of extremely talented people who have offered their services voluntarily to the Practice. Artists, photographers, film-makers, dancers, authors, therapists, retired counsellors and many others have come forward to help us offer narrative workshops, art therapy, exhibitions for artists struggling with mental health issues, singing groups, film production and dance workshops and most importantly, companionship.
but it lacks a lot. The role of a future practice will be more than consulting rooms for GPs and nurses, it will offer a platform for people in the community to give according to their ability and take according to their need.
How does a dying woman hang on until her grandchild Successful projects such as ours rely on us all being open, embracing differences and celebrating life together.
is born, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together." – African proverb.
how are so many more boys than girls born after great wars, what is the
placebo
effect and how does it work? These are
some of the many things we cannot
explain and so we dismiss them as oddities or anomalies in
science.
We fail to realise and acknowledge the complex context of the person
that has
the illness. As Hippocrates said: "It is more important to understand
what sort
of person has a disease, than what sort of disease a person has." There
is no
pill which will have everything we need to make us healthy and there
never will
be.
In my career I have met some awful doctors and some
exceptional ones. The exceptional
ones have taught me that medicine is an act of love and brotherhood. That true
healing comes from people, not machines or chemicals or protocols or pathways
but from us all to each other. It
comes from art and companionship and love and trust.
Several years ago I visited the Bromley-by-Bow GP clinic. I
was struck by the story of a group of elderly Bangladeshi widows. These women who had relied
entirely on their husbands and were completely isolated by deep cultural and
language barriers. They almost all suffered with poorly controlled diabetes and
were regular attendees of the local AE and GP surgery.
The surgery started a gardening group for these women and as
they got out and exercised and laughed and gardened together they developed a
network of support. Their diabetic control improved and they became
significantly less frequent visitors to AE and the GP. Watching how this group worked was one of several factors that inspired me and my partners to focus, through our medical clinic, on wellbeing. Specifically we work on six areas of wellbeing: lifestyle, participation, relaxation, support, security and environment.
All these areas need to be considered and addressed in the
assessment and promotion of wellbeing.
It is hard to complete your chemotherapy if you are suffering abuse at
home. Your obstructive lung disease will deteriorate and not respond to normal
medical treatment if your home environment includes damp and squalid
conditions. Recent studies show loneliness is a bigger risk factor for having
another heart attack than not taking statin medication (the current gold
standard treatment).
If the NHS is to survive then we must look at the big
picture of health and wellbeing. We have developed a dependence on medicine
which is not sustainable. There
are many cheap, local and effective treatments which do not involve darkening
the doors of our struggling hospitals or GP consulting rooms. We need to look
to each other to provide participation, security and support to our neighbours,
friends and colleagues.
Our clinic in Brighton is the first integrated NHS GP
practice. We use a wide range of therapies, including acupuncture, massage and osteopathy, and as these therapies are not part of the NHS we have set up a
charity to fund them for people on low incomes. We also have a centre where we offer therapies in the visual, literary and performance arts as well as support and companionship
groups. Some have questioned our actions. Of
course the biomedical model of the body acupuncture makes no sense. However,
if I look back at the history of western medicine and how it has evolved over
the millennia, doctors have done some wonderful and some awful things in their
attempts to help and relieve sickness.
They have often held misguided views for too long and failed to accept
new ideas or listen to patient experiences with an open mind. In short for all
its greatness the consistent failing of modern medicine has been its
arrogance. Our model of the body
explains a lot but it does not explain everything.
Perhaps the answer to the conundrum of how to meet the ever
increasing demand on the NHS is to extend the parameters of primary care past
the role of the medic and into the arena of wellbeing? I have been hugely humbled by the
amount of extremely talented people who have offered their services voluntarily
to the Practice. Artists, photographers, film-makers, dancers, authors,
therapists, retired counsellors and many others have come forward to help us
offer narrative workshops, art therapy, exhibitions for artists struggling with
mental health issues, singing groups, film production and dance workshops and
most importantly, companionship.
The role of a future practice will be more than consulting
rooms for GPs and nurses, it will offer a platform for people in the community
to give according to their ability and take according to their need.
Successful
projects such as ours rely on us all being open, embracing differences and
celebrating life together.
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go
together." – African proverb.
Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here.Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here.
The Live Better Challenge The Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable living. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here.
is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable living. All content is
editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement
feature. Find out more here.