Dr John Firth
John Firth qualified as a doctor in 1981 and now works as a consultant physician in Cambridge, where he’s the hospital’s medical lead for professional governance and so involved in trying to help sort things out whenever there are serious problems. He has written many scientific papers and textbook chapters and is senior editor of the Oxford Textbook of Medicine, the standard reference work. He’s been very fortunate to have had a ring side seat to learn about, write about and sometimes implement the truly wonderful medical advances made over the last forty years.
The way that medicine is practised reflects society. As well as changing in response to technical developments, John has seen it alter to reflect broad cultural shifts. We are now less deferential to authorities, less willing to accept adversity, less willing to accept that we can’t have something we want, and more likely to look for someone to blame when things aren’t perfect. Mulling over how these shifts have affected medical practice led him to write Kind & Sensible.
Dr John Firth's Books
£8.99
Kind & Sensible
28 Jan 2025Jonathan Barber, an old-school doctor, struggles to adapt to societal and medical changes. After his decision to comfort a terminally ill patient, Jonathan finds himself facing legal and professional consequences, leading to his early retirement.
Following his wife’s death, his estranged daughter Margaret returns home, seeking to reconnect and understand her father’s plight. In conversations with her father, friends, and medical and nursing experts, Margaret uncovers the societal barriers to honest discussions about illness and mortality.
Margaret’s journey mirrors society’s struggle, culminating in newfound trust in her father and understanding of the need for a realistic resetting of expectations about what medicine can and can’t do, with a restoration of trust between doctors and patients.
John Firth qualified as a doctor in 1981 and is a consultant physician in Cambridge, where he’s the medical lead for professional governance. He has written many scientific papers and textbook chapters and is the senior editor of the Oxford Textbook of Medicine, the international reference work. Kind & Sensible is his first novel.