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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...

Genetics WG4. Improving diagnosis and drug development through the genetic understanding of tinnitus subtypes: a TINNET endeavour

Christopher R Cederroth and Jose Antonio Lopez-Escamez explain how progress is being made to investigate the contribution of genetic factors to tinnitus, including a subtype of ‘extreme’ tinnitus in Ménière’s disease. Genetics WG4 is working towards determining the genetic basis...

The death of Attila the Hun, a 70s film and Japanese cartoons

The 6th century Gothic monk, Jordanes, tells us that Attila the Hun, the notorious and allegedly merciless barbarian (who was a prime mover in the fall of the Roman Empire), died of a nosebleed on his wedding night in 453...

The role of artificial intelligence and applications in ENT surgery

AI is progressing apace. If you’re wondering how it might affect our working lives in ENT, read on for insights and a pilot study that show us what may be possible. The recent launch of ChatGPT, an open access artificial...

Seven things ENT surgeons can learn from the hairdressers

In a nod to our origins as barber surgeons, Australian ENT surgeon and blogger Eric Levi gives us an entertaining insight into what he has learned from his hairdresser that makes him a better doctor. I’ve been to the hairdressers...

In memory of Robert Allan Yorston (10th March 1920 – 1st October 2016)

In this special feature article, Alan Gibb writes a touching tribute to his friend and colleague Dr Bob Yorston, a Dundee otolaryngologist, who had a special talent for humour and art. In addition to illustrating the eighth, ninth and tenth...

Anxiety and acronyms – musings of an otolaryngologist

Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been a focus of attention and concern for healthcare workers around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neil Tolley discusses some of the issues. I write this article in mid-May when, were it not for...

Achieving consensus on candidacy for cochlear implantation

The British Cochlear Implant Group’s candidacy working group recently ran a national exercise, working towards a consensus on candidacy for cochlear implantation in the UK. Padraig Kitterick and Debi Vickers were instrumental in this exercise, and in the article below,...

Anaesthesia for excision of vestibular schwannomas

The ‘shared airway’ relationship between ENT surgeons and anaesthetists is well documented. But ENT surgery and anaesthesia interact in numerous other ways, particularly in complex skull base surgery. What do our anaesthetic colleagues want us to know about vestibular schwannoma...

Tish Gaffney – AAA President

From a sunny Southend, UK, Gareth Smith takes 10 minutes to dial into the Sunshine State, USA, and catch up with Tish Gaffney for a lightning-speed chat on the movements and motivations of the 35th president of the American Academy...

When things go wrong

The new-age, Paediatric Surgeon, Ray Clarke, (fear uasal, íseal), eloquently demands throwing off the shackles of the past and welcomes the dawning of an era of openness, transparency and candour, preferably suffused with compassion for both the patient and the...