Reviews

Your Life in My Hands: A Junior Doctor's Story by Rachel Clarke

julciasereda's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

alex_c's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

nina_fuente's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

tania_rj's review against another edition

5.0

What an incredible and forthright read. Rachel Clark has given us not only a candid and heartbreaking look behind the curtain but also gives us her professional insight into the politics surrounding the NHS and its funding or lack of. You can feel her passion and off an anger radiate from some of these chapters where she discusses the former health secretary or the incumbent prime minister of the day and their lack of regard for staff and patient safety. She’s not scared to be critical of herself or the NHS as an institution, also showing us how much she adores it as do her many weary colleagues.

It made me really sad to think of the pressures that our wonderful NHS staff have been put under for so many years. I’m lucky to always had a good experience within NHS hospitals and this book explains why - It’s down to the goodwill of the doctors and nurses who tirelessly devote themselves to their patients day in and day out. The worry is that with their impossible workloads the care and empathy they so want to give has to fall by the wayside so that they can treat all of the people that come through their doors.

It’s quite an I opener and I would highly recommend to everyone in the country has ever, or will ever use the wonderful NHS.

anawilson05's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5

Every politician should read this. It's a memoir that unfolds the brutal reality' of our NHS and what staff are going through 

kath61's review against another edition

5.0

A brilliantly written(the author was a journalist before a Dr) and frightening but starkly true picture of the NHS. This is echoed by 2018 TV programmes like 'Ambulance' and 'Hospital' as well as friends working in high pressurised NHS environments where firefighting is all they are managing to do. Whilst it is true that the NHS was not created to deal with the wide range of treatments that are now available, and there are areas of waste, for example in the administration of prescription medicines, society and governments surely need to evolve to alleviate the problems. Something needs to be done.

reginacattus's review against another edition

4.0

As a young person looking to work in the NHS, this book was both fascinating and terrifying. I'd never realised the full complexity behind the Junior Doctor's strike. It's somewhat daunting to think that this politically embroiled, ailing and genuinely depressing - though nonetheless still something to be proud of for its core principles - could one day be my workplace. I'm not put off, exactly, but I would now feel more guilty about going abroad to practice!

maisiejoc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad

5.0

teaandfairytales's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

wendoxford's review against another edition

5.0

Telling it as it is. A brave decision and presented with the clarity of a well researched journalist with the dedication & soul of a doctor living on top of this unexploded bomb. Rings so many bells for me...I worked in NHS admin for 15 years as the current crisis built, flagging concerns at every stage. What is it with politicians that they don't want to consider, appreciate, believe views from the coalface?
Everybody should read this..and weep..