A Sceptical GP: Insights into the World of Medicine That the Public Doesn't See - the Hits and Misses of Medical Practice

Here is a book that everyone who is interested in the NHS, especially in this time of turmoil, and who cares about its survival as a truly free and open service available to all who need it, will want to read. 
Written from the personal perspective of a GP who has spent her entire career in a rural practice in Wales, it covers all the issues that confront busy doctors in their day -to-day working lives.  To name but a few: diagnosis; serious and not-so-serious illnesses; decisions about treatment; developing trust and a good patient-doctor relationship; clinical evidence for what works and what does not; the interface between primary care and hospital specialities; advising patients on their self-care as well as the care of dependents (children and/or elderly relatives); helping patients (and their families) to access other services; mental health issues; liaising with medical colleagues and other professionals; the role of public health.
It's all here, and much, much more.   The author is not afraid to tackle the knotty problems, ethical as well as practical, that arise inevitably from the responsibility of running an organisation as vast as the British National Health Service.  Pressures from Government to save money, cut services; the interests of big business; the role of the pharmaceutical companies; the in-fighting between different medical specialities; the power struggles; who decides on priorities; Dr Elen Samuel (not her real name) offers some fascinating insights and wise views on these and other aspects of life within the NHS, based on her long experience as a medical practitioner. 
Informative and up to date, covering some of the background to the recent changes in the NHS, this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to know just why we should value our NHS and be so vigilant on behalf of both it and ourselves.   Never fear!  The book is long but it is an easy read, enlivened by many patient stories and anecdotes from the author's casebook.