Patricia Brayden
@patriciabrayden.bsky.social
Recently retired Consultant in Palliative Medicine, working out what to do next, but currently enjoying having more time to travel, read, walk and cook, while trying not to get too upset about politics. Sto imparando l’italiano
Loving the spectacularly irreverent @theguardian.com live coverage of the World Cup draw. “Pass the bucket” indeed at the nauseating sycophancy.
December 5, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Loving the spectacularly irreverent @theguardian.com live coverage of the World Cup draw. “Pass the bucket” indeed at the nauseating sycophancy.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
🧵/ Today a damning parliamentary report on the state of palliative care services in England was published.
Services are patchy, underfunded & “ill-equipped” to address end-of-life needs.
Bereavement support is “frequently inaccessible.
The palliative care workforce is in a “critical” situation”.
Services are patchy, underfunded & “ill-equipped” to address end-of-life needs.
Bereavement support is “frequently inaccessible.
The palliative care workforce is in a “critical” situation”.
November 28, 2025 at 8:25 AM
🧵/ Today a damning parliamentary report on the state of palliative care services in England was published.
Services are patchy, underfunded & “ill-equipped” to address end-of-life needs.
Bereavement support is “frequently inaccessible.
The palliative care workforce is in a “critical” situation”.
Services are patchy, underfunded & “ill-equipped” to address end-of-life needs.
Bereavement support is “frequently inaccessible.
The palliative care workforce is in a “critical” situation”.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Black Friday: A cursed day where every business I have ever bought anything from in the last decades sends me an email.
November 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Black Friday: A cursed day where every business I have ever bought anything from in the last decades sends me an email.
Oh that’s fine, then 🤷♀️
BBC board member Robbie Gibb, whose previous jobs have included being Conservative communications director to Theresa May, and helping to set up GB News, tells MPs that he is "hugely impartial"
November 24, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Oh that’s fine, then 🤷♀️
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Powerful piece by @drrachelclarke.com on the COVID inquiry. Those who say it’s easy to be wise in hindsight are being utterly disingenuous. Many of us spoke out at the time, and it’s in the public record.
@independentsage.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
@independentsage.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
I’ll never forget the horror of the Covid wards | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Powerful piece by @drrachelclarke.com on the COVID inquiry. Those who say it’s easy to be wise in hindsight are being utterly disingenuous. Many of us spoke out at the time, and it’s in the public record.
@independentsage.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
@independentsage.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Have been thinking about “immigration has been tearing this country apart.” Surely I’m not the only person to think that it isn’t true, but inflamed rhetoric about immigration by politicians is what is tearing this country apart and so statements like that only makes it worse.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Illegal migration isn't tearing this country apart, but our obsession with it is. It's an obsession fuelled by our media and politicians. Both profit from blowing the problem out of all proportion. It's been happening for decades, but never more so than now
November 16, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Illegal migration isn't tearing this country apart, but our obsession with it is. It's an obsession fuelled by our media and politicians. Both profit from blowing the problem out of all proportion. It's been happening for decades, but never more so than now
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
“Thank you for your attention to this matter”
NEW
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
emptycity.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
“Thank you for your attention to this matter”
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
As a palliative care specialist, I’ve witnessed the human tragedy of our end-of-life care crisis | Rachel Clarke
As a palliative care specialist, I’ve witnessed the human tragedy of our end-of-life care crisis | Rachel Clarke
While the government debates assisted dying, palliative care is an afterthought. And many more people face death without the care and support they need, says Rachel Clarke
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:26 PM
I feel as if we’ve been trying to make these points for years but successive governments fail to act as it gets worse. And now the assisted dying bill adds a new dimension. I’d love to tag some government ministers but very few seem to be here…
As a palliative care specialist, I’ve witnessed the human tragedy of our end-of-life care crisis | Rachel Clarke
As a palliative care specialist, I’ve witnessed the human tragedy of our end-of-life care crisis | Rachel Clarke
While the government debates assisted dying, palliative care is an afterthought. And many more people face death without the care and support they need, says Rachel Clarke
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I feel as if we’ve been trying to make these points for years but successive governments fail to act as it gets worse. And now the assisted dying bill adds a new dimension. I’d love to tag some government ministers but very few seem to be here…
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Thinking only of Rosalind Franklin today, and what was stolen from her (and so many other female scientists alongside her).
Rosalind Franklin and the damage of gender harassment
Spurred by a recent report on sexual harassment in academia, our columnist revisits a historical case and reflects on what has changed—and what hasn’t
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Thinking only of Rosalind Franklin today, and what was stolen from her (and so many other female scientists alongside her).
Awful statistics ⬇️
We hear about the legitimate concerns of white working class communities a lot from the British hard-right, think they’ll care about these horrific and very legitimate concerns?
Being a black baby in the UK shouldn’t make you 81% more likely to die in the NHS www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Being a black baby in the UK shouldn’t make you 81% more likely to die in the NHS www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Babies born to black mothers 81% more likely to die in neonatal care, NHS study shows
Analysis of England and Wales units also finds 63% higher risk to babies whose mothers live in most deprived areas
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Awful statistics ⬇️
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Very impressed by letter in @theguardian.com from @jamescsanderson.bsky.social. We can’t talk about hospices without talking about inequalities in access to hospice care in less affluent areas and communities.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
November 3, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Very impressed by letter in @theguardian.com from @jamescsanderson.bsky.social. We can’t talk about hospices without talking about inequalities in access to hospice care in less affluent areas and communities.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Love to show how smart I am by bragging about my score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.
October 27, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Love to show how smart I am by bragging about my score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
October 27, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Describe a character in Greek mythology the way someone trying to defend a politician would. I’ll start.
Oedipus: Like you’ve never had sex with someone and regretted it later
Oedipus: Like you’ve never had sex with someone and regretted it later
October 24, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Describe a character in Greek mythology the way someone trying to defend a politician would. I’ll start.
Oedipus: Like you’ve never had sex with someone and regretted it later
Oedipus: Like you’ve never had sex with someone and regretted it later
Bizarrre when you think about the need for palliative and end of life care. Let’s face it, 100% of the population will die. It’s hard to imagine a more universal condition with so little research funding.
New paper published @flissmurtagh.bsky.social Funding for palliative research remains very low: out of total of 18,023 health research awards in 2022, only 136 related to palliative research – just 0.26% of the total £4.2billion awarded. See spcare.bmj.com/content/earl...
October 7, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Bizarrre when you think about the need for palliative and end of life care. Let’s face it, 100% of the population will die. It’s hard to imagine a more universal condition with so little research funding.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
The pandemic exposed deep inequalities that devastated young disabled people.
Yesterday, the Covid Inquiry heard evidence that disabled people aged 18 to 34 were 30 times more likely to die of Covid than their peers.
These inequalities must be tackled before the next crisis.
Yesterday, the Covid Inquiry heard evidence that disabled people aged 18 to 34 were 30 times more likely to die of Covid than their peers.
These inequalities must be tackled before the next crisis.
October 2, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The pandemic exposed deep inequalities that devastated young disabled people.
Yesterday, the Covid Inquiry heard evidence that disabled people aged 18 to 34 were 30 times more likely to die of Covid than their peers.
These inequalities must be tackled before the next crisis.
Yesterday, the Covid Inquiry heard evidence that disabled people aged 18 to 34 were 30 times more likely to die of Covid than their peers.
These inequalities must be tackled before the next crisis.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
October 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
statistic of the day
September 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM
statistic of the day
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
September 23, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Reposted by Patricia Brayden
Laughable as this is, the reality is that many will take it at face value.
Many more who are undecided will hesitate further.
The upshot being that kids will get ill, disease will spread, and decades of hard-earned public health gains will be lost.
It is a shameful, callous act.
Heartbreaking.
Many more who are undecided will hesitate further.
The upshot being that kids will get ill, disease will spread, and decades of hard-earned public health gains will be lost.
It is a shameful, callous act.
Heartbreaking.
Trump: "It's too much liquid. Too many different things are going into that baby at too big a number. The size of this thing when you look at it. It's like 80 different vaccines and beyond vaccines."
September 23, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Laughable as this is, the reality is that many will take it at face value.
Many more who are undecided will hesitate further.
The upshot being that kids will get ill, disease will spread, and decades of hard-earned public health gains will be lost.
It is a shameful, callous act.
Heartbreaking.
Many more who are undecided will hesitate further.
The upshot being that kids will get ill, disease will spread, and decades of hard-earned public health gains will be lost.
It is a shameful, callous act.
Heartbreaking.