Book: The bitter pill by Doctor 'X'

[seabhcan]

(Sorry if this has been discussed before, but nothing came up on the search)

Has anyone else read the book "The Bitter Pill" by an anonymous Irish hospital doctor. Its an exposé of the Irish health system from the inside.

His main points are not really new, but its very interesting to hear them from someone working at the sharp end.

He proposes a number of changes, mainly more accountability for consultants and radiologists, and a maximum working week for junior doctors. He makes a good case that forcing doctors to work 100+ hour weeks leads to bad medicine, poor hygiene (tired doctors forgetting or not bothering to wash their hands), accidents, and ultimately higher costs.

Added to that, Ireland pays a fine to the EU every year for failing to impliment EU law on maximum working weeks for doctors. Ireland is the only country which has unlimited hours for doctors.

Another good point is that several hospitals in Dublin don't have their own MRI scanners. The cost and time of sending their patients to other hospitals for scans amounts to the cost of an MRI machine in as little as one or two years. Its high time that every Irish hospital had their own MRI.

He also discusses the lack of accountability for consultants and how junior doctors live in fear of citicising them. A single bad reference from a consultant can end a doctors career - so whistle blowers are very rare.

The book is worth a read.

[Rahood]

I used to follow his blog until the book was published at which point it was deleted. thebitterpill.wordpress.com, As I understand it, most if not all the content of the book was covered on the blog
http://www.irishblogs.ie/categories/the ... h-service/