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livstreff's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
A book that is more political than medical, though does have a few interesting anecdotes. Dr Clarke writes in a raw and emotional way, stating the facts while adding emotional stories to clearly show the terrible state of the NHS in 2016 (from which it has never recovered)
I did find the book quite repetitive at times, with some facts and events being repeated past being effective. However I did think it showed a comprehensive account of the junior doctor strikes and fully explored a lot of the politics behind the series of events more than I would have thought.
I would recommend this book as an eye opener to the struggles of NHS workers and the unbelievable stupidness of the British government. Just be warned that it is very politics heavy.
A book that is more political than medical, though does have a few interesting anecdotes. Dr Clarke writes in a raw and emotional way, stating the facts while adding emotional stories to clearly show the terrible state of the NHS in 2016 (from which it has never recovered)
I did find the book quite repetitive at times, with some facts and events being repeated past being effective. However I did think it showed a comprehensive account of the junior doctor strikes and fully explored a lot of the politics behind the series of events more than I would have thought.
I would recommend this book as an eye opener to the struggles of NHS workers and the unbelievable stupidness of the British government. Just be warned that it is very politics heavy.
readsbysophie's review against another edition
4.0
Rachel Clarke, using skills from her decade as a journalist, charts the 2016 Junior Doctors dispute and her own personal journey into and through medicine. What is wonderful about this book is how well the words flow off the page. She weaves anecdotes from her time in hospitals (her own experiences, her colleagues, and her patients'), her career as a reporter, and the story of Jeremy Hunt vs. the Junior Doctors that unfolded in newspapers, on social media, and in front of the Health Secretary's office. She definitely has a agenda, primarily to combat the political spin about staffing levels and contracts but it also feels as though her main aim was to make us fall in love with the NHS (again). Some of the stories are emotional, some made me feel full of joy and amazement and so appreciative of our health service, others made me fearful that one of my loved ones will end up in hospital in the care of a doctor who, no matter how knowledgable and compassionate, cannot escape the dangers of being physically and mentally overwhelmed by shifts that are too long, too horrific, and "officially" meant to be the job of two doctors not one. Read if you are interested in personal accounts of medicine, read if you love the NHS and want to feel galvanised to protect it, or read if you agree with the government policies and want to be able to understand where the 'other side' are coming from and why they're protesting.
sarahfarrow's review against another edition
3.0
Didn’t expect this book to be so political. Was hoping for something similar to ‘This is going to hurt’. I should’ve read some reviews first I suppose.
debbieekins8's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, it's rare but I didn't finish this. It's not that it was bad, but not what I was expecting. I was set up for a more "This is going to hurt" vibe - real life stories, with some humour thrown in. This is a lot more serious and for me not as enjoyable a read. It has a strong political slant, which was very interesting in the beginning, but I found it less engaging as I went on. If you are interested in how politics has impacted the health care system them it's worth a read.
carls_d's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
"In this zero-sum game, would it be patients or nurses who would suffer more today?"
Rachel Clarke gives you insights about the shortcomings of the British NHS system and how the health service is increasingly struggling to deliver good care. She writes about the consequences of understaffed medical personnel, the high workload and long shifts. The story alternates between Rachel's experiences as a Junior Doctor and her critique on the NHS system.
After reading this book I respect medical staff even more. I think that Rachel makes a lot of good points on where the NHS is lacking and I have learnt a lot. My only point of critique is that I would have preferred to read a bit less about the political debate.
thedevonkelly95's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the medical, flash back sections of the book. The information about the government, statistics etc not so much.
The book doesn’t touch on this being in the book, it’s marketed more as a diary.
Shame, some people will thoroughly enjoy it and others, like myself, would less so.
The book doesn’t touch on this being in the book, it’s marketed more as a diary.
Shame, some people will thoroughly enjoy it and others, like myself, would less so.
icz's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. Tried to listen to on Audible - way too melodramatic and overbearingly political. The narrator may have been partly to blame. Could not carry on.