‘It’s a difficult situation for doctors as well as patients. But even worse than no solutions is false solutions, and a dangerous, gaslighting, even punitive approach to a terrible disease.‘

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here's today's column on the astonishing, ongoing mistreatment of people with #ME/CFS. Please spread it far and wide: the only thing which can break the media's wall of indifference is seeing an article about the issue go viral. Thank you. 1/2 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A dress representing C-sections at Miss World. Wow. Kudos to Trivia Elle Muhosa, aka Miss Uganda, and Keesha, the designer. Obviously nobody should be feeling this surgery, right?

Never knew this chap but this is leadership.

Susanna Stanford@susannastanford.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I met J-P just once. He impressed me with his willingness to engage with someone he knew nothing of. He demonstrated how much good can come from clinical leaders interacting with harmed patients with curiosity and humility rather than defensiveness. It also makes quite a good story… 1/

I met J-P just once. He impressed me with his willingness to engage with someone he knew nothing of. He demonstrated how much good can come from clinical leaders interacting with harmed patients with curiosity and humility rather than defensiveness. It also makes quite a good story… 1/

Royal College of Anaesthetists@rcoanews.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In our summer Bulletin, we pay a heartfelt tribute to Dr J‑P van Besouw, a cherished former College President and much‑admired colleague at St George’s Hospital. Our Interim Chief Executive Officer shares a moving reflection on his legacy. Read the full tribute 👉 https://ow.ly/lytb50Zu4ej

Sometimes it feels like people think the RCoA's motto is not "it is divine to alleviate pain" ('divinum sedare dolorem") but "it is divine to alleviate pain unless you're in childbirth in which case don't worry about".

Susanna Stanford@susannastanford.bsky.social · 3mo ago

My heart goes out to the women who shared their experiences for @theguardian.com It is important to understand the experiences of black women maternity care come in the context of lifetimes experiencing micro aggressions and discrimination. Harm is compounded and trust undermined further. 1/

My heart goes out to the women who shared their experiences for @theguardian.com It is important to understand the experiences of black women maternity care come in the context of lifetimes experiencing micro aggressions and discrimination. Harm is compounded and trust undermined further. 1/

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3mo ago

Ethnicity pain gap: the epidural failed and no one believed me – I could feel everything

‘Pain only she knows’ is a challenging editorial. The first author @susannastanford.bsky.social is a patient with lived experience - a voice worth listening to. Some thoughts below @anaesjournal.bsky.social associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... 1/N 🧵

This is an important thread from @iainmoppett.bsky.social, very much worth reading in full for his thoughts on wider implications for regional anaesthesia…

Iain Moppett OBE@iainmoppett.bsky.social · 4mo ago

‘Pain only she knows’ is a challenging editorial. The first author @susannastanford.bsky.social is a patient with lived experience - a voice worth listening to. Some thoughts below @anaesjournal.bsky.social associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... 1/N 🧵

Bit late to realise that a gendered title might mean people assume this is about labour pain! In brief… Severe intra-operative pain during caesarean delivery is perceived as life threatening. It is *still* common. There are things clinicians can do to improve care. #AnSky #ObSky #PainSky

Anaesthesia@anaesjournal.bsky.social · 4mo ago

"The overwhelming focus of a mother is on the safe delivery of her baby and, to that end, mothers will allow significant injury to themselves; but this does not mean they should have to." @susannastanford.bsky.social #AnSky #ObSky #MedSky #PainSky doi.org/10.1111/anae...

The truly baffling bit is that attitudes to labour pain seeped into attitudes towards pain during caesarean delivery. Severe intra-operative pain during delivery is perceived as life threatening. And it is still common.

Raj LB@rajlb.bsky.social · 4mo ago

My possibly minority of one opinion (as a non-obstetric anaesthetist) is that scientific inquiry should be working towards pain-free labour. I find it baffling we accept pain in obstetrics in a way we just would not accept in any other sphere of healthcare.

"The overwhelming focus of a mother is on the safe delivery of her baby and, to that end, mothers will allow significant injury to themselves; but this does not mean they should have to." @susannastanford.bsky.social #AnSky #ObSky #MedSky #PainSky doi.org/10.1111/anae...

New Editorial in @anaesjournal.bsky.social Pain only she knows There is a persistent gap between pain experienced by patients and pain recognised by clinicians; namely, patients feel pain more often than clinicians recognise. Great to work with Tracey Vogel and Heather Nixon on this. 1/

Anaesthesia@anaesjournal.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Pain only she knows @susannastanford.bsky.social #AnSky #ObSky doi.org/10.1111/anae...

‘Anxiety…’ This is such a deeply ingrained, cultural issue all around the world. Maybe clinicians could be trained to counter bias by asking themselves: ‘What if it’s not anxiety?’

‘It’s time we made it rare.’ I couldn’t agree more. Great to see this is being discussed at #Asm26Akl

Dr Magpie@lightfootsj.bsky.social · 5mo ago

#Asm26Akl Pain during LSCS should not be expected or expected to be “tolerated”. It’s a traumatic psychologically damaging event. But it is not rare. Up to 1:6 may report pain. Spinal is best. Epidural blocks can be patchy. It’s time we made it rare. Time to increase your dose??? @anzca.bsky.social

I was taught to use 2.2ml hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine but now routinely use 2.4ml minimum (plus 0.3mg/0.3ml diamorphine). 👇🏻 This podcast with @susannastanford.bsky.social is a brilliant discussion around pain during LSCS, human factors, and psychological safety. www.rcoa.ac.uk/events-profe... 1/2

Dr Magpie@lightfootsj.bsky.social · 5mo ago

#Asm26Akl Pain during LSCS should not be expected or expected to be “tolerated”. It’s a traumatic psychologically damaging event. But it is not rare. Up to 1:6 may report pain. Spinal is best. Epidural blocks can be patchy. It’s time we made it rare. Time to increase your dose??? @anzca.bsky.social

She was running the #spinerace for Afghan women and girls. She was pulled out because of death threats. I’ll put her fundraiser page in the next post. Let’s support if we can. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Woman pulled out of UK ultramarathon after death threats over Afghanistan fundraising

Sarah Porter was running 108-mile Montane Winter Spine Challenger South race when security team had to disable tracking device

theguardian.com

Same here, stopped using it in 2024, now deactivated.

Susanna Stanford@susannastanford.bsky.social · 9mo ago

For years Twitter was so helpful, putting me in contact with anaesthetists around the world, many of whom became wonderful allies. But leaving X suddenly became incredibly easy to do.

For years Twitter was so helpful, putting me in contact with anaesthetists around the world, many of whom became wonderful allies. But leaving X suddenly became incredibly easy to do.

What a beautiful letter…

Long Covid Advocacy@longcovidadvoc.com · 10mo ago

How the writing of Tom Stoppard was a catalyst for a medical breakthrough. A demonstration of the fluidity of metaphor, creativity & insight.

All those involved in #patientsafety please fill in this survey re ⁦patient safety education by HSSIB.

Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB)

We investigate patient safety concerns across England to improve NHS care at a national level.

hssib.org.uk

Not my usual sort of post but it’s not everyday I get compared to Erin Brockovich… Astute review of Susan Burton’s work in The Retrievals: open.substack.com/pub/bingewor...

Writing like it's a television drama complete with instructions for a camera operator. That's an unusual maneuver for a podcast. One I'd never heard before. Neither had Susan Burton until she wrote that way herself for #TheRetrievals from Serial and @nytimes.com. @prx.org. @transom.bsky.social.

Writing Like TV in a Podcast

Writing Like TV in a Podcast - Transom

transom.org

The @nytimes.com and @serialproductions.bsky.social have released the second series of The Retrievals. It is powerful, compelling listening from Susan Burton with Julie Snyder, Ben Phelan and team. The 4 episodes are a solutions focused look at intraoperative pain during caesarean delivery. 1/

I've just listened to this series and it's both powerful and shocking - the "normalisation of deviance". But at least the situaiton appears to be changing. Well worth 3.5 hours of your life. @susannastanford.bsky.social

Serial Productions@serialproductions.bsky.social · last yr.

After Season 1 of "The Retrievals," hundreds of listeners wrote to us saying they "felt everything" during their C-sections. Season 2 investigates how this happens—and who is trying to fix it. Subscribe now to get the first episode on July 10. lnk.to/akQAPD

After Season 1 of "The Retrievals," hundreds of listeners wrote to us saying they "felt everything" during their C-sections. Season 2 investigates how this happens—and who is trying to fix it. Subscribe now to get the first episode on July 10. lnk.to/akQAPD

The Retrievals

C-sections are the most frequently performed major surgeries in the world. So why do so many patients feel severe pain during them? Season 2 of the award-winning podcast “The Retrievals” is an investi...

lnk.to

Heartbreaking to read the BBC article posted by @oaa-anaes.bsky.social below. This simply should not still be happening. If you work in #OBAnes, listen to women. If a woman says she’s in pain, believe her. @rcoanews.bsky.social podcast on pain during CD here - podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...

NovPod - Season 2, Episode 11: Prevention and management of pain during caesarean section

Podcast Episode · Anaesthesia on Air · 14/11/2024 · 59m

podcasts.apple.com

@oaa-anaes.bsky.social · 2y ago

@oaa-anaes.bsky.social and all the #OBAnes community thank @susannastanford.bsky.social for all your tireless efforts to highlight our practice that needs QI. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The Snapshot Obstetric National Anaesthetics Research (SONAR) project investigating pain during Caesarean with neuraxial anaesthesia got underway this week. This NIHR portfolio project is something I have been agitating for over almost 10 years. Why? 1/

This case study outlines ‘what good looks like’ in public and patient involvement in healthcare improvement. A truly collaborative experience, thanks to the principled approach of the researchers. A privilege to work with this team. @marydixonwoods.bsky.social @lisahinton.bsky.social

Mary Dixon-Woods@marydixonwoods.bsky.social · 2y ago

How can patient and public involvement be integrated into co-design of healthcare improvement? Here's a case study link.springer.com/article/10.1...?

✨My essay in @thelancet.bsky.social this week has made the front page!✨ (I didn’t know about this 🤗) ‘Reflect, Collaborate and Listen’ looks at why doctors don’t listen and the urgent need to rebalance the power dynamic in the patient - doctor relationship. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...