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Aylin's claim that Meacock conclusions are "deeply flawed" is deeply flawed

May 10, 2016

Aylin and colleagues have written a public google docs document to challenge the conclusions of a peer-reviewed study by Meacock and colleagues. The latter, titled “Higher mortality rates amongst emergency patients admitted to hospital at weekends reflect a lower probability of admission”, seemed to show that the “week-end effect” was an illusion. Although a slightly higher proportion of patients admitted at week-ends die within 30 days, this is not the case if one considers all patients attending A&E. Looking at attendances, the proportion of people who die does not vary between week-end and weekday. The obvious interpretation is that the patients who are admitted at week-ends are the ones who are more likely to die, presumably because they are more unwell to start with. Aylin’s grounds for saying that the conclusions are “deeply flawed” rest on a rather subtle statistical point which is that if one looks at the “risk adjusted relative risk” for direct admissions then it is hig

Transcript of interview between Andrew Marr and Jeremy Hunt,7/2/16.

February 07, 2016

Transcript of interview between Andrew Marr and Jeremy Hunt, broadcast on the Marr Show, BBC1, 7/2/16. Text approximately captured by Speechlogger and Voicemeeter and then corrected by hand. I think it's fairly accurate. Please use as you think fit. The interview can be viewed on BBC iPlayer (starts at 36 minutes) here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b070rt5r/the-andrew-marr-show-07022016 AM: And I just happen to have the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt with me, welcome Mr Hunt. JH: Good morning, Andrew. AM: Now Jamie just said that he thinks you might be in favour of a tax on sugary drinks. Are you? JH: Well it's a bit terrifying not to answer affirmatively if he's going to get more ninja. AM: He'll get more ninja if you don't say yes. JH: And obviously it's Sunday morning and people are tucking into their bacon and eggs, chocolate croissant or whatever I don't want to be too much of a killjoy but he is right we have got to do something about this. And

Email to David Ward MP re Holocaust Memorial Day

January 25, 2013

Here is the link to the BBC report about David Ward's comments on Holocaust Memorial Day: Lib Dems condemn MP's criticism of Israel ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day In the article he states that he has only had emails from two detractors. So I thought I would be the third. Another detractor 'david@davidward.org.uk' Dear Mr Ward. I see you told the BBC you had only had emails from two detractors. Please consider this a third. I have never written this kind of email or letter before. Most anti-Israel or anti-Jewish statements I just let go past. Your remarks were offensive. What makes things worse is your defiance in the face of criticism. I am happy to accept that not everything Israel does is perfect and that Palestinians do have some grounds for complaint on some matters. Some actions of the state are of questionable legality and some individuals have probably acted in violent or hateful ways and sometimes may have escaped the sanctions they should have been subjected t

To whom it may concern: Male circumcision in Germany

June 28, 2012

I had been looking forward to attending the World Congress in Psychiatric Genetics later this year. I had been looking forward to presenting the results of my research investigating genetic factors contributing to mental illness and to explaining the new methodologies I have been developing which could assist others in the study of mental illness, dementia and physical illnesses with a genetic basis. I had been looking forward to hearing at first hand the latest advances in the field, which with recent technological advances is entering a particularly exciting phase. Today, I'm wondering whether I should be going at all. I'm wondering how I can even consider setting foot in a country which has just decided to ban the circumcision of male children for religious reasons. And then to have what we would call the chutzpah to claim that this is not antisemitic. It is absolutely antisemitic to fail to acknowledge the significance of circumcision as having a central place in Jewish id

'Antipsychotic drugs made me want to kill myself'

May 06, 2012

'Antipsychotic drugs made me want to kill myself' This is the really unhelpful and misleading title of an online BBC article reporting a Lancet paper on antipsychotic benefits and problems. The article itself is far more balanced. In fact, it gives a good idea of why so many people with psychotic illness do need to take medication and how much they can be helped by it. You can view it here . This sort of headline is absolutely the last way to present this kind of complex issue to the general public. The obvious effect will be to discourage people from taking medication or even seeing a doctor in the first place. I have complained to the BBC about it and it would be helpful if you did too.

Letter to Observer re Burzynski clinic

November 27, 2011

My email to the readers' editor at the Observer re this article on raising the money to send a girl with cancer to the Burzynski clinic in USA. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/nov/20/a-family-gripped-by-cancer The worst year of my life: cancer has my family in its grip Hi. I think you should take a really serious look at what has gone on around the publication of this article. Of course it’s a moving account of knowing a child with cancer. But the whole emphasis is on people clubbing together to allow her to receive some treatment which is unavailable on the NHS. The overall impression is horribly misleading, which is that there is some expensive and sophisticated treatment which is for some reason inaccessible through the NHS. Actually, the obvious reason it’s not provided by the NHS is that it plain doesn’t work. Unlike a number of treatments which are available on the NHS (e.g. herceptin), the chemicals used by this clinic are fairly simple and easy to manufacture and

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