Occasionally I write non-fiction, often of a medical variety or about a health service topic. I had a short piece published recently in Pulse Magazine, a weekly publication for doctors. The topic was Burnout. The question I had to answer, in 200 words, was this:
One of my salaried GPs seems to be suffering from burnout. How should I approach the issue, what advice should I give and what are my duties as his/her employer?
Head lice and working mothersTwo weeks ago I opened the BMA News Review* and read an anguished opinion piece written by a doctor. She had just discovered nits in the hair of her young children and she did what many busy working-mums do: she blamed herself.
I knew this wasn’t her fault, because nits and head lice are rife in most British primary schools and feeling compelled to respond, I wrote a letter – to her – and sent it via e-mail to the BMA News Review to pass on.
They sent me a reply and asked if they could publish the letter. Of course I said ‘yes’. Imagine my surprise when it won a prize.
And the letter looked good, sitting below a specially commissioned cartoon to illustrate the point I was making.
Even if publication was not my intention, seeing the letter in print was the highlight of my week.
*The BMA News Review is circulated with the British Medical Journal (BMJ) to its UK subscribers. The BMJ is a highly respected medical journal. The News Review is a light-hearted and chatty newsletter.
Ruth Livingstone 