My personal conviction is that the primary goal of any healthcare system should be to serve its people and ensure their health and wellbeing. The vision of the NHS is awe-inspiring, yet, sadly, it has been increasingly besieged by policies that contradict its founding principles. Most Interesting Part of the Book My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. While the political aspects of the junior doctor dispute are riveting and enlightening, the parts of the book that left the deepest impression on me are those in which Clarke recounts the human experiences that have continuously reinforced her faith in medicine and its healing power. The course of my life is in your power; rescue me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors.

My lots are in thy hands. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me. I would still recommend it's read by prospective UK doctors (it's very UK centric) rather than someone in the US or European systems. Breathtaking is a scorching corrective to any suggestion that the pandemic is a hoax and that empty hospital corridors imply deserted intensive care units . . . Written at pace as "a kind of nocturnal therapy" on sleepless nights, Clarke's book has all the rawness of someone still working in the eye of the storm ― MirrorMany always dream of being a nurse or a doctor specialising in specific areas of medicine, but no-one prepares you for the real life on the front line that is looking after patients and dealing with the most traumatic moments that only a doctor can experience. Every patient is different, not every patient is understanding some can be rather rude. We ask a lot of doctors and what they have to except. Rachel’s accounts in her book are very eloquent and her writing style means that she comes across as though she there with you talking directly you. Just like a doctor in fact. This shows that medicine can never operate efficiently on an individual level; it takes a well-organised and system to keep the profession going. While individual healthcare workers often enter the profession with the best intentions at heart, their idealism can soon be crushed by the weight of responsibility in underfunded, understaffed hospitals, where speaking up to seniority is equated with blatant disrespect. This culture of silence, compliance and submission that seems to be a subsidiary trait of the hierarchical nature of medicine only perpetuated the establishment of an increasingly brutal culture, where patients can no longer receive quality care. The Health of the Medical Workforce The declining health of our loved ones is a predicament that none of us want to face. Knowing that there will always be a system in place to take care of them is a comforting assurance. Therefore, continuing to uphold the values of the NHS while not subjecting its workers to further stress will provide the crucial anchorage for a better future. Who would I recommend this book to? Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,

Powerful, uplifting and even reassuring . . . Clarke's tone is more intimate, much of the book written at night when she couldn't sleep for fear, fury and frustration - the last two she attributes largely to the inadequacies and lies of politicians. Rage lurks beneath many paragraphs as she lambasts the delays in decisions, and the "number theatre" of statistics. You get the sense of someone trying to remain calm and reasoned, often on the verge of being overcome . . . superb -- Madeleine Bunting ― Guardian My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me.From the very heart of the NHS comes this brilliant insight into the continuing crisis in the health service. Rachel Clarke writes as the accomplished journalist she once was and as the leading junior doctor she now is - writing with humanity and compassion that at times reduced me to tears.’ - Jon Snow, Channel 4 News