Sunday Lecture – Preventative medicine? Are screening tests about science or politics?
2nd December 2012 · 11:00am - 11:00am
In person | Virtual event
Dr Margaret McCartney talks about the ethics and politics of medical screening and whether it is necessary.; Welcome to the world of sexed-up medicine where patients have been turned into customers and clinics and waiting rooms are jammed with healthy people lured in to have their blood pressure taken and cholesterol smear test bowel or breast screening done.; In the world of sexed-up medicine pharmaceutical companies gloss over research they don’t like and charities often use dubious science and dodgy PR to ‘raise awareness’ of their disease leaving a legacy of misinformation in their wake. Our obsession with screening swallows up the time of NHS staff and the money of healthy people who pay thousands to private companies for tests they don’t need. Meanwhile the truly sick are left to wrestle with disjointed services and confusing options.; Explaining the truth behind the screening statistics and investigating the evidence behind the hype Margaret McCartney an award-winning writer and a GP in Glasgow. Her interests are risk screening evidence medical professionalism and ethics. She broadcasts for Radio 4 writes for the BMJ and the lay press blogs and tweets bakesgood cakes and is also a mother of 3.; £3 on the door/free to members