"Dementia's Journey" explores the year-long process of a playwright working with a charity and its partners in writing a play focussing on experiences of dementia in a South Asian community, and how the need to tell an emotionally engaging and resonant story is balanced with the requirement to raise awareness of the issues involved. It…

Medical graduates are expected to apply scientific principles and explain the processes underlying common and important diseases. Evidence shows that integrated medical curricula, which deliver biomedical science within the context of clinical cases, facilitate student learning in preparation for practice. However, research has also shown that the…

Previous research has demonstrated links between anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorder however, few studies have examined the possible impact of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder on clinical outcomes in anorexia nervosa. The aim of this study was to examine the association between symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and eating…

We study whether childhood health capital affects school attendance, long-run occupational outcomes, and intergenerational mobility. We address this question in the context of London, England during the late nineteenth century using the inpatient admission records of three large hospitals linked to population census records, from which we identify…

This paper reports on a Curriculum Innovation Project to empower third-year Undergraduate Medical students to recognise learning opportunities in their clinical placements and to proactively use them to develop their understanding and practice. The project created action learning sets (ALS) in response to the challenges students face when trying…

This paper reports from the first phase of a study of the inter-professional work of hospital play specialists (HPSs). In this phase, the author aimed to test the utility of Edwards' concept of "relational agency" in inter-professional work in hospital settings. Individual HPSs in two London hospitals were observed for half-day periods,…

"Human factors" is an influential rationale in the UK national health service to understand mistakes, risk and safety. Although there have been studies examining its implications in workplaces, there has been little investigation of how it is taught, as a form of professional morality. This article draws on an observational study of…

Mabel Cooper and Gloria Ferris spent their early adult life in St. Lawrence's Hospital in Caterham. This was in the late 1950s to early 1970s. This is their memories of how they spent their time. It includes the work they did and leisure. They also write about the tokens that were used in the hospital instead of money.

Background: This study reflects a growing concern with the placement of people with intellectual disabilities and complex mental health problems in out of area placements at a distance from their families and communities. Materials and methods: We interviewed service users (n = 17) living in out of area in-patient psychiatric units using a…

This is a short oral historical account of a former patient's working life inside and outside a learning disability hospital. After working in a variety of jobs inside the hospital, he obtained a pass to work outside the hospital, while still living there. After leaving, he continued to work in a variety of settings.

This study aimed to compare the characteristics of service users with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems admitted to either a specialist or a generic inpatient unit in an area of South London. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of consecutive admissions over a 5.5-year period were recorded using a questionnaire. Key…

This moving clinical account describes the psychotherapeutic work of a child psychotherapist undertaken in a hospital room with 13-year-old Maya, after the sudden onset of a terrifying and serious illness, Guillain-Barre syndrome, leaving her with paralysis and extreme weakness. The first session takes place almost three weeks after Maya's…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the selection process and criteria that led to the implementation of the Koha 3.0 library management system (LMS) at the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Library and Information Service (CAMLIS), Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a report based on…

Historical records from London hospitals in the late 19th-early 20th centuries were analyzed for their depiction of nursing trainees. Analysis reveals a strong emphasis on character traits rather than intellectual ability. In contrast, the literature of the last 3 decades shows a contemporary concern for nurses as knowledgeable doers. (Contains 31…

Surveyed parents of 58 chronically ill children in a London hospital regarding their satisfaction with hospital services. Discusses factors associated with parental dissatisfaction at the times of preadmission, admission, and discharge. (BG)