Comments on: Shh! Don’t use the ‘q’ word. http://northerndoctor.com/2009/02/15/shh-dont-use-the-q-word/ "Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition" Adam Smith. A blog from a British doctor. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:24:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: northerndoctor http://northerndoctor.com/2009/02/15/shh-dont-use-the-q-word/#comment-508 northerndoctor Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:06:19 +0000 http://northerndoctor.com/?p=670#comment-508 Of course, it also highlights the importance of the population approach. Given 10,000 plus GP practices it is unlikely the excess deaths (<1 per practice) would be commented on at an individual practice level. And although it was painfully obvious at the coal face if I stand up and say that an extra 30 jumbo jets worth of people died this Christmas it looks a touch more dramatic. Of course, it also highlights the importance of the population approach. Given 10,000 plus GP practices it is unlikely the excess deaths (<1 per practice) would be commented on at an individual practice level. And although it was painfully obvious at the coal face if I stand up and say that an extra 30 jumbo jets worth of people died this Christmas it looks a touch more dramatic.

]]> By: northerndoctor http://northerndoctor.com/2009/02/15/shh-dont-use-the-q-word/#comment-507 northerndoctor Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:53:12 +0000 http://northerndoctor.com/?p=670#comment-507 Yes, I noted yours and several other bloggers comments at the time. It was a mad busy November/December. There still seems to be some difficulty in making the NHS more reactive to these peaks in activity. I can see the HPA are making some efforts for some 'real time' figures but it is still very much an exercise in retrospectoscope observations. Yes, I noted yours and several other bloggers comments at the time. It was a mad busy November/December. There still seems to be some difficulty in making the NHS more reactive to these peaks in activity.

I can see the HPA are making some efforts for some ‘real time’ figures but it is still very much an exercise in retrospectoscope observations.

]]> By: Dr Grumble http://northerndoctor.com/2009/02/15/shh-dont-use-the-q-word/#comment-506 Dr Grumble Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:39:49 +0000 http://northerndoctor.com/?p=670#comment-506 If you work at the coal face you are <a href="http://drgrumble.blogspot.com/2008/12/its-busy.html" rel="nofollow">aware of this as it happens</a> and not weeks later but it is interesting to see that we were right and that it was as bad as we were claiming. If you work at the coal face you are aware of this as it happens and not weeks later but it is interesting to see that we were right and that it was as bad as we were claiming.

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