All posts originally published on the Broken Paramedic blog.
A year ago today, I watched my mother die. An otherwise healthy woman, she unexpectedly started to suffer a decline in health early last year and by March, she was immobile, confused and emotionally volatile. I, along with my two younger sisters, cared for her at home. We did what Read more…
It is painfully evident from the outcry caused by the case of Edmund Daly, a beleaguered paramedic who could take no more and was thrown to the wolves for it, that things are horribly wrong within the practise of emergency pre-hospital care. After reading about the case on various news Read more…
In this past week, many major news outlets have covered a story about a London Ambulance Service paramedic who refused to attend a 999 call on the grounds that he and his crewmate were dangerously tired after 11 hours overnight without a break. Across the mainstream media, the tone of Read more…
Art imitates life they say. In many ways, EVE too imitates life with its long history of virtual cultures evolving to compete, collude and conquer. It strikes me that New Eden’s accelerated process of simulating reality’s rise and fall of dynasties and cultural trends seems to be coming full circle Read more…
EVE Online has been publicly playable for 11 years, but its development began in the final years of the previous century. Few games can boast a lifespan equal to half that. But, despite EVE’s continued growth, it is a victim of its own success. In such a lengthy time period, Read more…
My Mother inspired this blog. When I was forced to retire from the ambulance service in 2012 due to a back injury, it was Mum who directed my continued concerns about the direction of pre-hospital healthcare toward writing about it. Together, we created the Broken Paramedic and she became my Read more…
I watched the BBC’s televised debate about hospital ‘closures’ several times with great interest as three of our healthcare elite, one passionate campaigner and a number of audience members were given the floor. I even transcribed the whole thing so I could better digest the discussion. Underlying the debate about Read more…
On Sunday 2nd March 2014, the BBC aired a debate on their The Big Question show, discussing the titular question. Hosted by Nicky Campbell, the main speakers were Professor Terence Stephenson (paediatric consultant and Chair, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges) and Julia Manning (optometrist and chief executive of independent think tank 2020 Read more…
Tengus: Spewing missiles with style since 2009 There are times when I know I should be doing something constructive, but the last few days have been challenging at Fort Freebooted, with an ill wife and baby both requiring my frequent attention (not to mention the endless laundry as a result Read more…
New Eden: Just how big is it? I know – how long’s a piece of string, right? I was recently asked ‘how long does it take to cross New Eden’ for a project and I endeavoured to find something approaching a scientific answer. If any experienced travellers, master mathematicians or Read more…