Confronting an Ill Society: David Widgery, General Practice and the Case for Change

Citation

(2005), "Confronting an Ill Society: David Widgery, General Practice and the Case for Change", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 18 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2005.06218bae.002

Confronting an Ill Society: David Widgery, General Practice and the Case for Change

Confronting an Ill Society: David Widgery, General Practice and the Case for Change

Patrick Hutt with Iona Heath and Roger NeighbourRadcliffe Publishing2004ISBN 1 85775 910 9

Keywords: Disadvantaged groups, General practice, Public health, United Kingdom

David Widgery was a socialist GP who worked in the East End of London. For him medicine was as much about the social causes of illness as it was biological. He believed that if wealth were more evenly distributed, society and its members would be healthier. Working in and fighting for the NHS symbolised his wider view of the world.

This book tackles the difficult issues surrounding doctors’ roles, including whether they should ignore or embrace the social causes of illness. It uses the unique perspective of David Widgery’s life to explore these issues and considers why medicine at times can be disheartening.

General practitioners, other doctors and those who shape and make health policy will all find this book stimulating and enlightening reading.

Contents include:

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  “Introduction”;

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  “Some characters”;

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  “Behind every book”;

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  “A biographical sketch”;

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  “Medical reasoning”;

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  “Changing reality”;

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  “Written words prescribed”;

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  “Wider than Widgery”;

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  “Dissecting Widgery”; and

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  “Concluding a radical life.