Your Life In My Hands - a Junior Doctor's Story: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Life

Heartwarming and shocking in equal measure, this astonishing book took me closer than any TV documentary to the relentless demands of critical illness in humankind; it permitted me access to the innermost and at times agonised thoughts of a doctor confronted by those breathtaking demands. It could usefully be read by any politician and the legions of NHS managers charged with overseeing the delivery of a nation's healthcare in the absence of any clinical experience of their own. A wonderful and unforgettable piece of writing.

Clearly written by someone who is passionate about providing outstanding health care, and despite the important political messages that run throughout, the author manages to make this an unputdownable, front line, account and is a fascinating read. Having finished it within hours of getting hold of a copy, I now feel like joining Junior Doctors in their fight to save our NHS.

I love medical books written about the experiences of doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, this book was not one of them. Instead, it focused on the politcs and funding of Britain's NHS. I am certainly not interested in that topic, which filled the absolute majority of the book. It's my fault, I suppose, for believing the first, bold-cased line of the Amazon summary. It appeared to promise a tale of the doctor's medical experience. Only in the huge paragraph underneath, which is hidden in the display, does it go into the NHS politics and such. I wasted my money on this one.

This book was terrible. I expected the author to write about encounters with patients and how she handled various medical cases. Instead, she went on and on about the government, the NHS system and basically just bitching about how the system is taking a toll on the doctors and they're running on compassion but exhausted yada yada. You could talk about that, but not pages AND PAGES AND PAGES. This book is just about her repetitively complaining about the government and saying how exhausted the doctors are. Period. Waste of money.

This was fantastic read.I am proud CanadianWho appreciates a health care system whereHow much money you have depends on the care you receive.I did not realize this happened in the U.K. I thought this happened in the USA,Not a commonwealth country. Naivete, you may call it.Again, thank you Rachael Clark, for shining a light on what could occur, if we are not diligent and proactive.

Having read, and been moved by "Dear Life" I was interested to read this written before Rachel Clarke specialised in palliative care. This book gives a good account of life as a junior (even up to 6 years after qualifying) doctor, but probably more importantly, highlights what is wrong in our health service. If Jeremy Hunt, who was Health Minister at the time this book alludes to, has read this book, he must realise that by forcing through the junior doctors contract, he is responsible for so many of our dedicated and brilliant staff, leave. As a retired registered nurse, midwife, health visitor with a diploma in humanistic counselling and a degree in sociology, I know that just 2 years after it was created, the NHS proved to cost more than had been budgeted for. To rectify this ever increasing problem, politicians decided in 1974 that they would organise the way it was run and as a result, the service has run into trouble ever since. Everyone needs to read this book. It highlights that we, the taxpayers, should be paying more tax to keep this brilliant service going, that we need to stop the interference of politicians who change every few years and most are ignorant about health, ill or well, and get rid of expensive business managers. Long may the Rachel Clarkes of this world continue to serve in the NHS.

Not an eye-opener as everyone knows what has and is happening in health care, but an insight from the inside itself. As a friend of journalists and wife and mother of doctors, I would recommend this book to all in the hope that things can be improved by an informed public

Too little about the actual patients and too much about the problems of the NHS.

-