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CI music: seeking perfection, accepting reality

Having just read about the challenges cochlear implant technology and music appreciation present, the musician Richard Reed beautifully illustrates the realities of this patient journey. An old friend of mine is an ardent music fan, and completely tone deaf. Long...

BACO: evolution and modernisation

Chairing the local organising committee is no small task, but it has a personal connection for Tim Woolford, as he tells us. I attended my first BACO in Manchester as a registrar, and have attended every one since. In July,...

OBITUARY: David Moffat (1948-2020)

David Moffat, one of the leading Otologists of his generation, died on 18 March in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, the hospital to which he had devoted his professional life. Having survived cancer of the prostate, he succumbed to a second...

Benchmarking for innovation in healthcare ­– an approach from 
Down Under and a gap in the 
National Health Service?

Benchmarking is a process of comparison between the performance characteristics of separate, often competing, organisations intended to enable each participant to improve its own performance [1]. Often, in healthcare, benchmarking is carried out by central government departments or regional agencies...

In conversation with Jayne Fletcher-Brander

What is the process to bring music to a Deaf audience and does it enhance the experience of the hearing viewers? In this interview, Deaf SingSong performer, Jayne Fletcher-Brander takes us through the journey of bringing a signed musical performance...

Rapid genetic testing to avoid hearing loss in neonates

Thousands of newborn babies could avoid a lifetime of hearing loss thanks to a new rapid genetic test. In this article, we learn how. We have demonstrated for the first time that a rapid genetic test from a cheek swab...

Where ART meets Science: The Silence You Can Hear

Some moments have a sound you don’t hear with your ears but feel with your entire being. The artwork DS21008 (200 cm x 120 cm) captures such a moment: a Sunday morning in Maastricht, where the river Maas reflects the...

The use of a tactical throat mic guitar amp system to improve communication in theatre in the COVID era

During the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) pandemic, current guidelines dictate that surgical teams wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in theatre. Currently this is, at a minimum, an FFP3 respirator, a visor, fluid repellent gown and gloves [1]. Many surgeons, particularly in...

Being a doctor abroad – comparing the Greek healthcare system with the NHS

Healthcare systems and training programmes vary significantly across the world. By learning about other healthcare systems, we can identify blind spots in our own system and continue to improve training. Sofia Anastasiadou, an ENT Registrar in South West England, describes...