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Further Confessions of a GP
Benjamin Daniels is back. He may be older, wiser and more experienced, but his patients are no less outrageous.
Drawing on his time working as a medical student, a locum, and a general practitioner, Dr Daniels would like to introduce you to …
The old age pensioner who can’t keep his hands to himself.
The teenager convinced that he lost his virginity and caught HIV sometime between leaving a bar and waking up in a kebab shop.
A female patient Dr Daniels recognises from his younger, bachelor years.
The woman whose mobile phone turns up in an unexpected place.
A Jack Russell with a bizarre foot fetish.
Crackhead Kenny.
Not to mention the super nurses, anxious parents, hypochondriacs, jumpy medical students and kaleidoscope of care workers that make up Dr Daniels’ daily shift.
Further Confessions of a GP is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a GP. With more eyebrow-raising stories from the world of general practice, Dr Daniels will once again amuse, shock and surprise.
You’ll never feel the same about going to the doctor again…
From the Back Cover
Further Confessions of a GP is a witty insight into the life of a family doctor. Funny and moving in equal measure it will change the way you look at your GP next time you pop in with the sniffles.
About the Author
Dr Benjamin Daniels is a GP. That is about as much as we can reveal about him.
Drawing on his time working as a medical student, a locum, and a general practitioner, Dr Daniels would like to introduce you to …
The old age pensioner who can’t keep his hands to himself.
The teenager convinced that he lost his virginity and caught HIV sometime between leaving a bar and waking up in a kebab shop.
A female patient Dr Daniels recognises from his younger, bachelor years.
The woman whose mobile phone turns up in an unexpected place.
A Jack Russell with a bizarre foot fetish.
Crackhead Kenny.
Not to mention the super nurses, anxious parents, hypochondriacs, jumpy medical students and kaleidoscope of care workers that make up Dr Daniels’ daily shift.
Further Confessions of a GP is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a GP. With more eyebrow-raising stories from the world of general practice, Dr Daniels will once again amuse, shock and surprise.
You’ll never feel the same about going to the doctor again…
From the Back Cover
Further Confessions of a GP is a witty insight into the life of a family doctor. Funny and moving in equal measure it will change the way you look at your GP next time you pop in with the sniffles.
About the Author
Dr Benjamin Daniels is a GP. That is about as much as we can reveal about him.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2013
148 people are currently reading
657 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Daniels
5 books42 followersLove reading and love writing. Started off only writing for my own satisfaction. Never believed that I'd get published!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
December 3, 2020
The Colonoscopy Review. Showing just how US medicine is all about making money and the UK is all about saving it. And they get the same results at least for colonoscopy.*
After the 5 star eloquence and relevant anecdotes tied to social situations and the insight into people the author brought in his first book Confessions of a GP I was really expecting something good. Something that elucidated further on social medicine in the community and provided insights into diseases, or at least how people perceive them. But this book was not about that it was about something else. Making money.
It reads as if the publishing company had said to the author, wow look at those sales, you've got to do another book, strike while the iron is hot and we could get another bestseller!!! We've got all the material we didn't use for the first book we could use that!!! At this stage someone should have asked why those stories weren't used. Was it because they were boring (often), meaningless (often), lacking in amusement value (very often) and so had been discarded first time round?
So like using up the last remains of Sunday's roast on Tuesday, we got little meat, cold potatoes with some gravy doused over it all.
Dr. D is a very good writer. Hopefully he goes back to writing books and not cobbling together yesterday's news.
Two star.
About cheap, painless bowel cancer screening offered in the UK.
*Comments below.
After the 5 star eloquence and relevant anecdotes tied to social situations and the insight into people the author brought in his first book Confessions of a GP I was really expecting something good. Something that elucidated further on social medicine in the community and provided insights into diseases, or at least how people perceive them. But this book was not about that it was about something else. Making money.
It reads as if the publishing company had said to the author, wow look at those sales, you've got to do another book, strike while the iron is hot and we could get another bestseller!!! We've got all the material we didn't use for the first book we could use that!!! At this stage someone should have asked why those stories weren't used. Was it because they were boring (often), meaningless (often), lacking in amusement value (very often) and so had been discarded first time round?
So like using up the last remains of Sunday's roast on Tuesday, we got little meat, cold potatoes with some gravy doused over it all.
Dr. D is a very good writer. Hopefully he goes back to writing books and not cobbling together yesterday's news.
Two star.
About cheap, painless bowel cancer screening offered in the UK.
*Comments below.
May 20, 2015
I picked this up casually in the library, not realising what a wonderful treat lay in store. Okay, so it's horribly revolting in places, in a kind of slapstick you-won't-believe-what-happened-to-me fashion. But it is also very, very funny. Even as one part of you is going "Ewwwww", another part of you is almost crying with laughter.
Don't be put off by the title, which to me suggests a sort of generic idiocy. The fact there is a whole list of books in this series adds to the undermining effect. In fact I thought this was a great read.
Daniels is an inner city GP, plus he does one day a week in the accident and emergency unit of his local hospital, so his experiences cover a wide variety of situations. He comes across as being enormously open minded and generous towards his patients, whatever their circumstances.... He is deeply understanding of the burdens that people carry. In one chapter he explains why he decided to work full time for the National Health Service, rather than doing any private practice. In spite of the frequent tomfoolery in the book he comes across as a highly principled doctor.
In fact in several chapters he raises serious issues:
* the need for the NHS not to be covertly privatized
* the quality of life experienced by severely disabled children
* allowing elderly people in pain or distress the opportunity to desist from further treatment
* the importance of living wills
* the inevitability of doctors making mistakes, and how best this should be dealt with
* and how it would be helpful for people in this country (the UK) to know how much their medication and medical interventions cost.
Generally, I felt a lot of agreement with all the ideas he discussed.
Most of all though the book just filled me with laughter. If you are stressed, uptight, or just plain grumpy after a hard day at the office - this has got to be the most relaxing read ever. This book is the second one he has written about his experiences as a doctor, and I can't wait to get hold of the first.....
Don't be put off by the title, which to me suggests a sort of generic idiocy. The fact there is a whole list of books in this series adds to the undermining effect. In fact I thought this was a great read.
Daniels is an inner city GP, plus he does one day a week in the accident and emergency unit of his local hospital, so his experiences cover a wide variety of situations. He comes across as being enormously open minded and generous towards his patients, whatever their circumstances.... He is deeply understanding of the burdens that people carry. In one chapter he explains why he decided to work full time for the National Health Service, rather than doing any private practice. In spite of the frequent tomfoolery in the book he comes across as a highly principled doctor.
In fact in several chapters he raises serious issues:
* the need for the NHS not to be covertly privatized
* the quality of life experienced by severely disabled children
* allowing elderly people in pain or distress the opportunity to desist from further treatment
* the importance of living wills
* the inevitability of doctors making mistakes, and how best this should be dealt with
* and how it would be helpful for people in this country (the UK) to know how much their medication and medical interventions cost.
Generally, I felt a lot of agreement with all the ideas he discussed.
Most of all though the book just filled me with laughter. If you are stressed, uptight, or just plain grumpy after a hard day at the office - this has got to be the most relaxing read ever. This book is the second one he has written about his experiences as a doctor, and I can't wait to get hold of the first.....
January 26, 2015
I read Caroline's excellent review on this book way back in September and accordingly purchased it. I finally got around to reading it last week and well it turned out to be an absolute gem and at times a tragicomedy.
I loved all aspects of the content and highly recommend it as it gives a valuable insight into the NHS.
I had not realized that there were really awful patients around and that a practice can in fact "toss" a patient from their "books".
A super book and highly recommended.
I loved all aspects of the content and highly recommend it as it gives a valuable insight into the NHS.
I had not realized that there were really awful patients around and that a practice can in fact "toss" a patient from their "books".
A super book and highly recommended.
March 29, 2020
Забавна, емоционална и разкриваща до голяма степен част от ежедневието на докторите и безумните ситуации, в които са поставени понякога.
February 7, 2020
Actually, I think they shouldn’t have made a second book. It is not really humorous anymore. The first book was mostly funny, and at times grave and offered some impressive insights. This book, however, is mostly musing about the NHS, the system, fears, mistakes. With regular patients like Danni the prostitute or Crackhead Kenny, there isn’t much of a chance to be entertaining, is there? Then again, I don’t think anyone was forcing Dr Daniels to write a sequel. It’s a shame he did. It was quite informative but I was looking for a laugh, not a sigh.
Was it because of the years that passed? Was it the pressure to be hilarious again? He failed so miserably, I’m sorry to say. The only bits resembling funny are those that include a healthy dose of self-irony: introduction, medical notes (which he reluctantly included, in his own words a bit offended, because they were not his creative product), and the very end where he admits he was struggling to find material. He didn’t really manage.
The dedication seems like it was meant to be a joke but it is a bad one. Then it is all about responsibility, liability, death, cancer, drugs, old age and depression. I was starting to think it was me who was getting too depressed to laugh, so I counted the stories. Of the 69 pieces the book contains, 8 are about failure, humiliation or embarrassment, 7 deal with drug addiction, 5 with cancer and death, 1 cancer survivor having a baby, 7 deaths (without cancer), 2 with a person with HIV, 2 show effects of old age (dementia and delusions), 2 about war/army, 2 patients are imprisoned, one is a former inmate (a paedophile). There is a story about molestation, the other ones consist of child abuse, hunger, bitterly divorced parents, brain damaged baby, an overweight patient who eats a lot, a disgusting story, feeling guilty, one dedicating his body to science (but not his organs, that one is almost funny), the medical notes (I had to look up ‘halitosis’ though to get the joke), two with a twist, of which one he read on the Internet… Really?! Not even his own story. It could be entertaining at least, then. Five are about time wasters, and 10 are musings about health problems and health care (NHS). The humour is meant to be found in too big breasts, in poo/bottom (twice), or in foreign objects in the patient (twice, plus a list of 1+10 cases of objects in the bottom – even he says the medical staff is not amused by it at all. Neither are the readers.), and a pet in the rectum South Park style (not his story either). Well, I can Google “things in rectum funny medical stories”, too. I’m not interested, though.
There is one great story in it. No, it is not funny either but if you read anything from this book, read the one titled ‘John’. There are the ever-important parts about recognizing meningitis (as in the first book), and antibiotic resistance. Read these, too. An interesting piece about the human race’s arrogance with the rulers of this planet: bacteria. He is not the first doctor or thinker I hear this view from (the other ones are a doctor at an intensive care unit and H.G.Wells in The War of the Worlds). It was interesting but not in the least entertaining.
Was it because of the years that passed? Was it the pressure to be hilarious again? He failed so miserably, I’m sorry to say. The only bits resembling funny are those that include a healthy dose of self-irony: introduction, medical notes (which he reluctantly included, in his own words a bit offended, because they were not his creative product), and the very end where he admits he was struggling to find material. He didn’t really manage.
The dedication seems like it was meant to be a joke but it is a bad one. Then it is all about responsibility, liability, death, cancer, drugs, old age and depression. I was starting to think it was me who was getting too depressed to laugh, so I counted the stories. Of the 69 pieces the book contains, 8 are about failure, humiliation or embarrassment, 7 deal with drug addiction, 5 with cancer and death, 1 cancer survivor having a baby, 7 deaths (without cancer), 2 with a person with HIV, 2 show effects of old age (dementia and delusions), 2 about war/army, 2 patients are imprisoned, one is a former inmate (a paedophile). There is a story about molestation, the other ones consist of child abuse, hunger, bitterly divorced parents, brain damaged baby, an overweight patient who eats a lot, a disgusting story, feeling guilty, one dedicating his body to science (but not his organs, that one is almost funny), the medical notes (I had to look up ‘halitosis’ though to get the joke), two with a twist, of which one he read on the Internet… Really?! Not even his own story. It could be entertaining at least, then. Five are about time wasters, and 10 are musings about health problems and health care (NHS). The humour is meant to be found in too big breasts, in poo/bottom (twice), or in foreign objects in the patient (twice, plus a list of 1+10 cases of objects in the bottom – even he says the medical staff is not amused by it at all. Neither are the readers.), and a pet in the rectum South Park style (not his story either). Well, I can Google “things in rectum funny medical stories”, too. I’m not interested, though.
There is one great story in it. No, it is not funny either but if you read anything from this book, read the one titled ‘John’. There are the ever-important parts about recognizing meningitis (as in the first book), and antibiotic resistance. Read these, too. An interesting piece about the human race’s arrogance with the rulers of this planet: bacteria. He is not the first doctor or thinker I hear this view from (the other ones are a doctor at an intensive care unit and H.G.Wells in The War of the Worlds). It was interesting but not in the least entertaining.
January 2, 2016
I bought the original novel a few years ago after it had been recommended to me by a friend who is a real bookworm and whose taste for reading materials spans a number of genres - from historical fiction to heavy tomes about technological advancements. In the end, I was very grateful for his advice as I enjoyed the book so much that I almost got through the whole lot in one sitting while spending an admittedly rather unproductive day at college. I’m fully aware that becoming engrossed in a book, regardless of its quality, was always going to be preferable to catching up with preparing for upcoming exams; however I cannot deny that I loved the book.
Its basic concept attracted me right away - a doctor who, for obvious reasons, wished to remain anonymous, but gave us an invaluable insight into the working life of a young GP in Britain today. He didn’t write about the supposed glamour of working in a pressurised, fast-paced emergency ward in a well-resourced hospital, he didn’t conjure up images of himself as a handsome, confident medical practitioner swishing through the corridors in his white coat, leaving dozens of swooning nurses in his wake. Instead he wrote about the every-day occurrences of his job, while all the while both entertaining the reader with tales of the unique characters he had met over the last few years, and educating us about the difficult decisions GPs have to make all the time regarding their patients’ welfare. He talked of the numerous consultations where he tried to convince his patients to improve their health without medical intervention, such as cutting down on the alcohol, giving up the cigarettes or reducing sugar intake. He wrote that often his work didn’t involve treating a patient in the medical sense at all, but instead called upon him to display the simple humane attributes of listening closely, dispensing advice and being ready to provide a shoulder to cry on when it was needed. Many of his stories contained liberal amounts of humour which often provided some well-needed relief from the more serious episodes.
The sequel follows along similar lines. In my view, its great strength, above and beyond making me laugh, is the author’s ability to engage the reader to the point that we become eager to learn about practical skills and knowledge relating to the field of medicine. For example, I had never heard of the glass test employed to easily determine if a child has Meningitis. I was further amazed to learn that there is a condition called Pseudocyesis, which in simple terms refers to a fake pregnancy, whereby a woman is convinced for whatever reason that she is carrying a baby, indeed her body displays the physical signs that would ordinarily indicate as much.
I also particularly enjoyed the discussion around the over-prescribing of antibiotics, especially for those medical complaints against which an antibiotic has no impact, such as colds and flues. The writer explains the situation by using the analogy of a farmer who orders a pack of dogs (the antibiotics) to hunt down the rabbits (the bacteria) destroying his crops. Unfortunately, even though the dogs capture most of the rabbits, the strongest and fastest escape, breed and create even better bunnies (superbugs like MRSA), leading to the farmer investing in even better canines than before which still struggle to rid the farm of the pests. And so the cycle goes on. The doctor concludes that we will never have enough antibiotics to deal with all existing bacteria, and that if the medical profession does not reduce the number of antibiotics prescribed to the public, resistance to these treatments will continue to rise, which in the long run will mean people do not recover as successfully.
There were certainly some more amusing anecdotes in this volume. There was the teenager who was convinced he’d contracted HIV on the basis that he couldn’t remember anything in a half hour period between getting sick in a club and coming to in a chipper. There was also the discovery of an old Nokia phone in the most unlikely area of a woman’s body, and the man who was terrified that his bum smelled.
However, in saying all that, I noticed there was a much more sombre tone in this book. Perhaps the doctor, having aged a few years and gained more experience, had become a little more philosophical and contemplative about his work. The days where he could act as a more care-free young medical student are now long gone and it’s time to be a bit more serious. I appreciated this change in tone up to a point, but I thought some of the topics got a bit too heavy on occasion, such as where he talks of the notion that doctors play God with patients’ lives.
Of course, as this is a very personal account of one doctor’s story, we get a somewhat bias view of the NHS, pharmaceutical companies and politicians. I didn’t really mind this though as the writer was always honest and at certain times was willing to clearly outline his own criticisms of the UK’s health service.
I��d recommend this book to anyone who has a good sense of humour, an interest in observing and learning about the human condition at a very basic level, and wishes to gain an insight into the relationship between a doctor and his/her patients. Reading this book will give you a great insight into what actually goes on inside your GP’s head during a consultation.
Its basic concept attracted me right away - a doctor who, for obvious reasons, wished to remain anonymous, but gave us an invaluable insight into the working life of a young GP in Britain today. He didn’t write about the supposed glamour of working in a pressurised, fast-paced emergency ward in a well-resourced hospital, he didn’t conjure up images of himself as a handsome, confident medical practitioner swishing through the corridors in his white coat, leaving dozens of swooning nurses in his wake. Instead he wrote about the every-day occurrences of his job, while all the while both entertaining the reader with tales of the unique characters he had met over the last few years, and educating us about the difficult decisions GPs have to make all the time regarding their patients’ welfare. He talked of the numerous consultations where he tried to convince his patients to improve their health without medical intervention, such as cutting down on the alcohol, giving up the cigarettes or reducing sugar intake. He wrote that often his work didn’t involve treating a patient in the medical sense at all, but instead called upon him to display the simple humane attributes of listening closely, dispensing advice and being ready to provide a shoulder to cry on when it was needed. Many of his stories contained liberal amounts of humour which often provided some well-needed relief from the more serious episodes.
The sequel follows along similar lines. In my view, its great strength, above and beyond making me laugh, is the author’s ability to engage the reader to the point that we become eager to learn about practical skills and knowledge relating to the field of medicine. For example, I had never heard of the glass test employed to easily determine if a child has Meningitis. I was further amazed to learn that there is a condition called Pseudocyesis, which in simple terms refers to a fake pregnancy, whereby a woman is convinced for whatever reason that she is carrying a baby, indeed her body displays the physical signs that would ordinarily indicate as much.
I also particularly enjoyed the discussion around the over-prescribing of antibiotics, especially for those medical complaints against which an antibiotic has no impact, such as colds and flues. The writer explains the situation by using the analogy of a farmer who orders a pack of dogs (the antibiotics) to hunt down the rabbits (the bacteria) destroying his crops. Unfortunately, even though the dogs capture most of the rabbits, the strongest and fastest escape, breed and create even better bunnies (superbugs like MRSA), leading to the farmer investing in even better canines than before which still struggle to rid the farm of the pests. And so the cycle goes on. The doctor concludes that we will never have enough antibiotics to deal with all existing bacteria, and that if the medical profession does not reduce the number of antibiotics prescribed to the public, resistance to these treatments will continue to rise, which in the long run will mean people do not recover as successfully.
There were certainly some more amusing anecdotes in this volume. There was the teenager who was convinced he’d contracted HIV on the basis that he couldn’t remember anything in a half hour period between getting sick in a club and coming to in a chipper. There was also the discovery of an old Nokia phone in the most unlikely area of a woman’s body, and the man who was terrified that his bum smelled.
However, in saying all that, I noticed there was a much more sombre tone in this book. Perhaps the doctor, having aged a few years and gained more experience, had become a little more philosophical and contemplative about his work. The days where he could act as a more care-free young medical student are now long gone and it’s time to be a bit more serious. I appreciated this change in tone up to a point, but I thought some of the topics got a bit too heavy on occasion, such as where he talks of the notion that doctors play God with patients’ lives.
Of course, as this is a very personal account of one doctor’s story, we get a somewhat bias view of the NHS, pharmaceutical companies and politicians. I didn’t really mind this though as the writer was always honest and at certain times was willing to clearly outline his own criticisms of the UK’s health service.
I��d recommend this book to anyone who has a good sense of humour, an interest in observing and learning about the human condition at a very basic level, and wishes to gain an insight into the relationship between a doctor and his/her patients. Reading this book will give you a great insight into what actually goes on inside your GP’s head during a consultation.
March 4, 2016
A good choice for an audiobook, but WARNING - you may cry and/or laugh out loud while driving.
A short book from Ben Daniels, Doctor, follow up to his first book of the same name, full of anecdotes taken from his time as a GP in a busy surgery and working in hospital wards.
We meet dozens of Dr Daniel's regulars and you feel the highs and lows of the job - I burst into tears when patients died and babies were born with brain damage. And laughed so loud I'm sure pedestrians outside my car heard me with the ridiculously hilarious story involving biscuits, a dog and foot callouses.
The good doctor does seem to tread a careful path, putting qualifiers on a lot of the stories (he even mentions previous reviews, so I did feel he was trying to tread a path between truth and not upsetting anyone).
That didn't stop the stories being moving, sad, uplifting - all of life was in there, all of society. And the life a doctor has to lead to be there for us in our time of need, we are reminded of their skill and what they have to put up with.
Costs associated with NHS care are discussed, and I was reminded of just what we might all have to pay if we didn't have it anymore.... A timely reminder indeed.
Entertaining and a down-to-earth reminder of the men and women who go over and above to keep up alive and healthy.
A short book from Ben Daniels, Doctor, follow up to his first book of the same name, full of anecdotes taken from his time as a GP in a busy surgery and working in hospital wards.
We meet dozens of Dr Daniel's regulars and you feel the highs and lows of the job - I burst into tears when patients died and babies were born with brain damage. And laughed so loud I'm sure pedestrians outside my car heard me with the ridiculously hilarious story involving biscuits, a dog and foot callouses.
The good doctor does seem to tread a careful path, putting qualifiers on a lot of the stories (he even mentions previous reviews, so I did feel he was trying to tread a path between truth and not upsetting anyone).
That didn't stop the stories being moving, sad, uplifting - all of life was in there, all of society. And the life a doctor has to lead to be there for us in our time of need, we are reminded of their skill and what they have to put up with.
Costs associated with NHS care are discussed, and I was reminded of just what we might all have to pay if we didn't have it anymore.... A timely reminder indeed.
Entertaining and a down-to-earth reminder of the men and women who go over and above to keep up alive and healthy.
October 17, 2015
As a medical student and (hopefully) future doctor, I really enjoyed this book. Being a first year student we don't yet get to deal with patients, it's all books and notes and studying and stress. This book reminded me why I got into medicine (plus the patients were hilarious).
June 1, 2014
I read, loved, and shared Confessions of a GP with the nurses I work with - we all howled, if I'm brutally honest. So it was with some excitement that I saw Ben Daniels had writen Further Confessions of a GP. Bought it straight away.
I have to say, with a degree of sadness, I actually considered returning this for a refund when I'd finished. A very short read, and lacking most of the humour I found in the first book, Further Confessions of a GP seems to be more of a soapbox from which the blame for the state of the NHS is preached and those who work within it are heralded as heroes - Not that I disagree. I work with those heroes on a day to day basis. But... It wasn't what I was expecting at all.
A great disappointment, coupled with the great disappointment of discovering that Harper Collins's editors don't even know when/where to use was/were correctly, just left me cold.
I have to say, with a degree of sadness, I actually considered returning this for a refund when I'd finished. A very short read, and lacking most of the humour I found in the first book, Further Confessions of a GP seems to be more of a soapbox from which the blame for the state of the NHS is preached and those who work within it are heralded as heroes - Not that I disagree. I work with those heroes on a day to day basis. But... It wasn't what I was expecting at all.
A great disappointment, coupled with the great disappointment of discovering that Harper Collins's editors don't even know when/where to use was/were correctly, just left me cold.
July 2, 2015
As my 2 star rating indicates, it was ok.
I perhaps expected more from this book, but I found it a bit dull. My overwhelming thoughts are that it's a bit too preachy to be a good read. There was far too much preaching on and on about the NHS, and it made me want to skip chapters where this was the sole topic. I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator didn't help matters. His voice was a bit too monotone and droning to make it a pleasurable listen. Having said that, I don't think my rating would change if I'd actually read the book instead of listening to it.
Not really one that I can recommend.
I perhaps expected more from this book, but I found it a bit dull. My overwhelming thoughts are that it's a bit too preachy to be a good read. There was far too much preaching on and on about the NHS, and it made me want to skip chapters where this was the sole topic. I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator didn't help matters. His voice was a bit too monotone and droning to make it a pleasurable listen. Having said that, I don't think my rating would change if I'd actually read the book instead of listening to it.
Not really one that I can recommend.
November 19, 2016
Loved this book as much as his first one. Some really comedic recounts of patients that I as a health care assistant could very easily relate to.
Completely worthy of the full five stars and I can only live in hope of a third book!!
Completely worthy of the full five stars and I can only live in hope of a third book!!
March 4, 2014
I received an ebook for review purposes.
Further Confessions of a GP is, as you might guess, the second in a series. I haven’t read the first book, Confessions of a GP, but it didn’t surprise me that there could be further tales. Several members of my family are in the medical professions, and I worked as a medical receptionist in my youth. Need I say more? But, this was written by a UK physician, could I relate to the stories? It turns out dealing with the public in the UK isn’t vastly different from dealing with them in the USA.
This is the kind of book that can be read in snippets. Coincidentally, the perfect reading material to take along to a doctor’s appointment so you’ll have something other than magazines with last year’s winner of the sexiest man alive on the cover. It’s also great to keep by your bedside to read a chapter or two before bedtime. Hopefully, you’ll drift off to sleep after one of the more poignant stories rather than one of the more disturbing.
What struck me most about the doctor was his compassion. Even while relaying less-than-flattering stories about his patients’ antics, his respect and concern were apparent. Also, he admits physicians aren’t all-powerful. He acknowledges that, most often, doctors are merely a sounding board for patients while time and nature cures them. I found the stories entertaining, enlightening, poignant and, at times, downright gross. Everything I’d expect in a GP’s tell-all.
One can’t talk about health care in the UK without talking about the NHS and Daniels doesn’t shy away. Since the US is going through the sometimes-painful implementation of a new health system, I was both interested in learning more about the UK system and, frankly, sick to death of hearing about the politics of it all. There were only a few instances where politics bled through, so it was tolerable.
However, I have to correct the doctor on two statements, one where he claims the US’s “private health-care system” has scared the public into thinking they need a yearly colonoscopy screening, and the other where he claims US doctors gave a woman suffering from false pregnancy a C-section.
Regarding the first claim: the American Cancer Society recommendations are for a colonoscopy every 3-5 years, if indicated, and every 10 years if the first colonoscopy is normal. They do advise a “yearly fecal occult blood test.” (Poo is talked about in the book, so I won’t shy away from it here.) I also looked up the guidelines for a “private sector” health insurance company and found the same recommendations. I do have first-hand experience with this. After my initial colonoscopy, my “private sector” doctor told me that I didn’t need another for ten years. And believe me, if I’m told I don’t have to go through that nasty test for a decade I’m not going to argue. Daniels may be confusing American celebrities, who have scared people into believing they need this test once a year, with the recommendations of the (paraphrasing) “money-hungry private health care system,” but the official American Cancer Society and insurance guidelines are clear.
The second claim regarding the woman with false pregnancy appears to be true, but it was in Brazil, not the USA. Perhaps there was some confusion because Brazil is in South America. I give Daniels the benefit of the doubt, as perhaps he knows something I don’t. But, when I google it, all the news stories claim this happened in Sao Paulo.
The doctor takes a few jabs at America’s health care system to bolster the opinion of his own. Some of his criticism may be deserving, but he fails to mention that we (even before the Affordable Care Act) have Medicaid—a government sponsored health insurance for the poor.
Also: “Every region has hospitals operated by state and local government (public hospitals) as well as some nonprofit hospitals that provide a safety net for anyone who needs care, regardless of ability to pay.” And this: “…hospitals […] required to provide treatment under the Hill-Burton Hospital Program. Hospitals that receive construction funds from the federal government must provide some services to cancer patients who can't afford to pay for their care. Approximately 300 hospitals take part in this program.”
Daniels does, in a self-deprecating fashion, give a disclaimer after one of his accounts, where he admits he has no idea if the story is accurate or not, but he says he “read it on the internet, so it must be true?!” It is all meant to be fun and, in the end, I have no problem with the Daniels upholding a system he believes in but, if he is going to be specific, he should ascribe the correct horror story to the correct country, even if it is meant to be anecdotal. This type of thing is what helps perpetuate false impressions.
I give credit to anyone who enters the medical field, it is often a stressful and underappreciated profession, where nothing less than perfection is expected. If the reader takes away anything from these “confession” books, I hope they understand that physicians and nurses are only human, who want to do the best for their patients even when the patients are being unreasonable. And, despite the few brief forays into the political side of things, I thoroughly enjoyed the candid tales.
Further Confessions of a GP is, as you might guess, the second in a series. I haven’t read the first book, Confessions of a GP, but it didn’t surprise me that there could be further tales. Several members of my family are in the medical professions, and I worked as a medical receptionist in my youth. Need I say more? But, this was written by a UK physician, could I relate to the stories? It turns out dealing with the public in the UK isn’t vastly different from dealing with them in the USA.
This is the kind of book that can be read in snippets. Coincidentally, the perfect reading material to take along to a doctor’s appointment so you’ll have something other than magazines with last year’s winner of the sexiest man alive on the cover. It’s also great to keep by your bedside to read a chapter or two before bedtime. Hopefully, you’ll drift off to sleep after one of the more poignant stories rather than one of the more disturbing.
What struck me most about the doctor was his compassion. Even while relaying less-than-flattering stories about his patients’ antics, his respect and concern were apparent. Also, he admits physicians aren’t all-powerful. He acknowledges that, most often, doctors are merely a sounding board for patients while time and nature cures them. I found the stories entertaining, enlightening, poignant and, at times, downright gross. Everything I’d expect in a GP’s tell-all.
One can’t talk about health care in the UK without talking about the NHS and Daniels doesn’t shy away. Since the US is going through the sometimes-painful implementation of a new health system, I was both interested in learning more about the UK system and, frankly, sick to death of hearing about the politics of it all. There were only a few instances where politics bled through, so it was tolerable.
However, I have to correct the doctor on two statements, one where he claims the US’s “private health-care system” has scared the public into thinking they need a yearly colonoscopy screening, and the other where he claims US doctors gave a woman suffering from false pregnancy a C-section.
Regarding the first claim: the American Cancer Society recommendations are for a colonoscopy every 3-5 years, if indicated, and every 10 years if the first colonoscopy is normal. They do advise a “yearly fecal occult blood test.” (Poo is talked about in the book, so I won’t shy away from it here.) I also looked up the guidelines for a “private sector” health insurance company and found the same recommendations. I do have first-hand experience with this. After my initial colonoscopy, my “private sector” doctor told me that I didn’t need another for ten years. And believe me, if I’m told I don’t have to go through that nasty test for a decade I’m not going to argue. Daniels may be confusing American celebrities, who have scared people into believing they need this test once a year, with the recommendations of the (paraphrasing) “money-hungry private health care system,” but the official American Cancer Society and insurance guidelines are clear.
The second claim regarding the woman with false pregnancy appears to be true, but it was in Brazil, not the USA. Perhaps there was some confusion because Brazil is in South America. I give Daniels the benefit of the doubt, as perhaps he knows something I don’t. But, when I google it, all the news stories claim this happened in Sao Paulo.
The doctor takes a few jabs at America’s health care system to bolster the opinion of his own. Some of his criticism may be deserving, but he fails to mention that we (even before the Affordable Care Act) have Medicaid—a government sponsored health insurance for the poor.
Also: “Every region has hospitals operated by state and local government (public hospitals) as well as some nonprofit hospitals that provide a safety net for anyone who needs care, regardless of ability to pay.” And this: “…hospitals […] required to provide treatment under the Hill-Burton Hospital Program. Hospitals that receive construction funds from the federal government must provide some services to cancer patients who can't afford to pay for their care. Approximately 300 hospitals take part in this program.”
Daniels does, in a self-deprecating fashion, give a disclaimer after one of his accounts, where he admits he has no idea if the story is accurate or not, but he says he “read it on the internet, so it must be true?!” It is all meant to be fun and, in the end, I have no problem with the Daniels upholding a system he believes in but, if he is going to be specific, he should ascribe the correct horror story to the correct country, even if it is meant to be anecdotal. This type of thing is what helps perpetuate false impressions.
I give credit to anyone who enters the medical field, it is often a stressful and underappreciated profession, where nothing less than perfection is expected. If the reader takes away anything from these “confession” books, I hope they understand that physicians and nurses are only human, who want to do the best for their patients even when the patients are being unreasonable. And, despite the few brief forays into the political side of things, I thoroughly enjoyed the candid tales.
July 28, 2020
A lot more griping about the media and the government than there was in the first book. Also a lot more sadness. Might be a decent bathroom reader, but the first book was better.
July 23, 2022
This one a bit off.
December 18, 2019
Read this this evening after getting home from a particularly interesting and enjoyable day at the GP. Love a medical anecdote so thought this would be a perfect way to round off the day.
This book is pretty funny in places, super easy to fly through but I was sort of surprised it was published in 2010 as it feels a bit dated (probably because the anecdotes come from the 90's/early 2000's.)
Not all that much to say but a caj fun read.
This book is pretty funny in places, super easy to fly through but I was sort of surprised it was published in 2010 as it feels a bit dated (probably because the anecdotes come from the 90's/early 2000's.)
Not all that much to say but a caj fun read.
October 19, 2025
I liked this, a funny somewhat light-hearted but emotional commentary of a GP
July 7, 2022
A bit sadder than the first. And the story about Sinbad left me with my jaw in the floor 🤮
That said, Dr Daniels comes off as less of a 'twat' in this one - in the nicest possible way.
That said, Dr Daniels comes off as less of a 'twat' in this one - in the nicest possible way.
December 28, 2017
Dr. Daniels is back with his hysterical narrative, witty anecdotes and unique viewpoint to the world of medicine.
I read his previous book 'Confessions of a GP' earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with it. Yes, it had a few flaws, like Daniel's judgemental point of view, but in this instalment, that had been corrected and now he comes across as funny rather than rude.
I am aware some people see this book as a money grabbing technique, and don't consider it necessary and to some extent, I agree. We didn't NEED this edition, I would have been fine without having it exist, because I was satisfied from the first book. However, I really enjoy these books, they're fun for me to read, and an escape from the predictable, cliche books that I've been stuck reading lately.
Although I love YA, I really do enjoy taking a break from my usual genre and diving into non-fiction for a while, particularly works of Ben Daniels because I find his books to be heartwarming, captivating and hilarious. Medicine is something I am very passionate about, as an aspiring paediatrician, so reading these books always makes me bubble with excitement and enthusiasm, to think that one day, I will be doing what Dr. Daniels is doing. Saving lives.
But hey, I'm only 16. I have a long way to go yet!
Something I particularly enjoyed about this edition to the series was how Dr. Daniels used it as a platform to discuss more important subject matters and addressed something that is quite controversial. One topic sparked an opinion, and that topic was: 'Should we name and shame doctors who make mistakes?'
Daniel's had his say on the matter, and now I would like to say mine: As long as doctors are human, mistakes will be made. Just because they have the title of a doctor, doesn't make them superhuman, or magical, or perfect. They're ordinary people. Like you or me. And mistakes are part of being human. As doctors, they try to prevent them, but they cannot stop them. Yes, they may miss that tiny tumour on someone's liver, or dismiss that cough when it indicates lung cancer, or think that tummy-ache is nothing out of the ordinary. It's inevitable, mistakes will be made, it's what makes us human. Therefore we shouldn't shame doctors who make a mistake that they will regret for the rest of their lives.
What we should do is take the positive out of the matter. Because after those mistakes have been made, Doctors can double check those scans of the liver, pay more attention to the cough and run a few more tests to make sure that the tummy-ache is nothing serious. Mistakes are a huge part of learning, and is what makes them better doctors.
Finally, I really enjoyed this book because it was interesting for me, as a medical geek, the anecdotes were funny (although, some were not as funny as the previous book, but still good) and discussed the view on more important topics.
In conclusion, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other works in the 'Confessions' series!
Love Lucy x
I read his previous book 'Confessions of a GP' earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with it. Yes, it had a few flaws, like Daniel's judgemental point of view, but in this instalment, that had been corrected and now he comes across as funny rather than rude.
I am aware some people see this book as a money grabbing technique, and don't consider it necessary and to some extent, I agree. We didn't NEED this edition, I would have been fine without having it exist, because I was satisfied from the first book. However, I really enjoy these books, they're fun for me to read, and an escape from the predictable, cliche books that I've been stuck reading lately.
Although I love YA, I really do enjoy taking a break from my usual genre and diving into non-fiction for a while, particularly works of Ben Daniels because I find his books to be heartwarming, captivating and hilarious. Medicine is something I am very passionate about, as an aspiring paediatrician, so reading these books always makes me bubble with excitement and enthusiasm, to think that one day, I will be doing what Dr. Daniels is doing. Saving lives.
But hey, I'm only 16. I have a long way to go yet!
Something I particularly enjoyed about this edition to the series was how Dr. Daniels used it as a platform to discuss more important subject matters and addressed something that is quite controversial. One topic sparked an opinion, and that topic was: 'Should we name and shame doctors who make mistakes?'
Daniel's had his say on the matter, and now I would like to say mine: As long as doctors are human, mistakes will be made. Just because they have the title of a doctor, doesn't make them superhuman, or magical, or perfect. They're ordinary people. Like you or me. And mistakes are part of being human. As doctors, they try to prevent them, but they cannot stop them. Yes, they may miss that tiny tumour on someone's liver, or dismiss that cough when it indicates lung cancer, or think that tummy-ache is nothing out of the ordinary. It's inevitable, mistakes will be made, it's what makes us human. Therefore we shouldn't shame doctors who make a mistake that they will regret for the rest of their lives.
What we should do is take the positive out of the matter. Because after those mistakes have been made, Doctors can double check those scans of the liver, pay more attention to the cough and run a few more tests to make sure that the tummy-ache is nothing serious. Mistakes are a huge part of learning, and is what makes them better doctors.
Finally, I really enjoyed this book because it was interesting for me, as a medical geek, the anecdotes were funny (although, some were not as funny as the previous book, but still good) and discussed the view on more important topics.
In conclusion, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other works in the 'Confessions' series!
Love Lucy x
March 5, 2019
Addictive
What can I say Adam kay actually led me here after this is going to hurt.
Next time I am at the GP I will surely grill them more.
What can I say Adam kay actually led me here after this is going to hurt.
Next time I am at the GP I will surely grill them more.
October 27, 2014
Originally posted on Soph Reviews
Dr Benjamin Daniels, an English GP, shared many an amusing anecdote, with a few serious topics thrown in, of his first few years as a newly qualified doctor in his first book Confessions of a GP. Now a practice partner with a weekly A&E shift, Dr Daniels is back to share more of his experiences in his further confessions.
I love the insight into a career I could never have. I do not have the patience, qualifications, or tolerance of blood and needles to be in the medical profession. However, it is always something I have been extremely interested in. I admire those who work long days - like GPs - or unsociable shifts – like A&E doctors – to keep us healthy. I really enjoyed reading about the perks and downfalls of the job from someone in the profession and gaining the kind of insight I could not get no matter how many medical TV shows I watch.
It made me laugh out loud. The stories told throughout the book range from disgusting to slightly odd to downright hilarious. I will occasionally have a little giggle to myself when reading but very rarely do I find myself actually laughing out loud.
Dr Daniels seems like a genuinely nice guy. While this book is non-fiction and not one where a ‘character’ connection should be felt, I really started to like Dr Daniels while reading this book. People are always complaining about the GP, at least where I live, so it was nice to read about a GP who seems to really want the best for his patients.
There was a bit too much complaining for my liking. I understand that all jobs have their negatives and with the problems in the NHS there is plenty for doctors to complain about. I completely understand that in order to show a true idea of what it is like to be a GP, these things need to be addressed. However, I feel like a great balance between funny and serious was established in the first book while this one contained a lot more complaints.
Overall, I think this book gives a great insight into the life of a GP and has caused me to look at my GP surgery in a different light. The amusing stories make it a light, easy read while the more serious topics emphasise the problems with the NHS today. However, I do not think this lived up to the first book by Benjamin Daniels and therefore would suggest, if you only want to read one, go for his first book Confessions of a GP.
Dr Benjamin Daniels, an English GP, shared many an amusing anecdote, with a few serious topics thrown in, of his first few years as a newly qualified doctor in his first book Confessions of a GP. Now a practice partner with a weekly A&E shift, Dr Daniels is back to share more of his experiences in his further confessions.
I love the insight into a career I could never have. I do not have the patience, qualifications, or tolerance of blood and needles to be in the medical profession. However, it is always something I have been extremely interested in. I admire those who work long days - like GPs - or unsociable shifts – like A&E doctors – to keep us healthy. I really enjoyed reading about the perks and downfalls of the job from someone in the profession and gaining the kind of insight I could not get no matter how many medical TV shows I watch.
It made me laugh out loud. The stories told throughout the book range from disgusting to slightly odd to downright hilarious. I will occasionally have a little giggle to myself when reading but very rarely do I find myself actually laughing out loud.
Dr Daniels seems like a genuinely nice guy. While this book is non-fiction and not one where a ‘character’ connection should be felt, I really started to like Dr Daniels while reading this book. People are always complaining about the GP, at least where I live, so it was nice to read about a GP who seems to really want the best for his patients.
There was a bit too much complaining for my liking. I understand that all jobs have their negatives and with the problems in the NHS there is plenty for doctors to complain about. I completely understand that in order to show a true idea of what it is like to be a GP, these things need to be addressed. However, I feel like a great balance between funny and serious was established in the first book while this one contained a lot more complaints.
Overall, I think this book gives a great insight into the life of a GP and has caused me to look at my GP surgery in a different light. The amusing stories make it a light, easy read while the more serious topics emphasise the problems with the NHS today. However, I do not think this lived up to the first book by Benjamin Daniels and therefore would suggest, if you only want to read one, go for his first book Confessions of a GP.
December 15, 2017
I really enjoyed this book and I was happy to find out you DO NOT need to read the book proceeding this to fully enjoy this sequel.
Lots of nice little chapters on the experiences of a young GP. I think I especially enjoyed this book because I have worked as a medical secretary and receptionist for 13 years and could relate to the general craziness of patients ( I fully believe everything he has to confess). The only thing I would say is, he goes on a lot about his opinion UK health system. Being in the industry i'm in, I found this interesting however, I imagine it would have been a bit boring if you do not have an active interest in the industry. I also had a problem with the fact that the health system was not explained, so being from another country (I'm Australian and he is an English GP) I found I spent the whole book trying to figure out their health system ( I don't think they pay for anything unless they want to go private, our system is similar but different).
If you are interested in the health industry and like memoirs, I think you will enjoy this book.
Lots of nice little chapters on the experiences of a young GP. I think I especially enjoyed this book because I have worked as a medical secretary and receptionist for 13 years and could relate to the general craziness of patients ( I fully believe everything he has to confess). The only thing I would say is, he goes on a lot about his opinion UK health system. Being in the industry i'm in, I found this interesting however, I imagine it would have been a bit boring if you do not have an active interest in the industry. I also had a problem with the fact that the health system was not explained, so being from another country (I'm Australian and he is an English GP) I found I spent the whole book trying to figure out their health system ( I don't think they pay for anything unless they want to go private, our system is similar but different).
If you are interested in the health industry and like memoirs, I think you will enjoy this book.
December 29, 2013
Great 2nd instalment!
I read the first 'Confessions of a GP' quite a while ago and really enjoyed it and this spurred me on to read many more of this sort of book eg.' Confessions of a Male Nurse', 'Sirens'('Blood Sweat and a cup of Tea' and 'More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea' in one volume). I read this as soon as it was released and I wasn't disappointed. It was every bit as good, if not better, than his original book. I was surprised to see there's 327 pages because it felt to really whizz along, I thought it was a short book, so time does fly when you're enjoying yourself/enjoying the reading! It isn't too technical for the average person to follow but you actually do learn a lot. There are sad stories and humorous tales. Really well done and interesting reading.
I read the first 'Confessions of a GP' quite a while ago and really enjoyed it and this spurred me on to read many more of this sort of book eg.' Confessions of a Male Nurse', 'Sirens'('Blood Sweat and a cup of Tea' and 'More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea' in one volume). I read this as soon as it was released and I wasn't disappointed. It was every bit as good, if not better, than his original book. I was surprised to see there's 327 pages because it felt to really whizz along, I thought it was a short book, so time does fly when you're enjoying yourself/enjoying the reading! It isn't too technical for the average person to follow but you actually do learn a lot. There are sad stories and humorous tales. Really well done and interesting reading.
May 1, 2018
“Simply living in the UK makes us among the luckiest people on the planet. Regardless of the constant talk of economic downturns and double-dip recessions, we still live in a time and place in which the vast majority of us have food, shelter and safety almost guaranteed.”
The follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a GP, this second volume includes further amusing, scary, and sometimes unsettling anecdotes about the profession. Written by a real doctor (using a pseudonym), it showcases the day-to-day life of a general practitioner, and just how varied it can be.
Whilst not as interesting or entertaining as its predecessor, this was still a largely light-hearted read, and one that made me very proud of the NHS and its staff.
The follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a GP, this second volume includes further amusing, scary, and sometimes unsettling anecdotes about the profession. Written by a real doctor (using a pseudonym), it showcases the day-to-day life of a general practitioner, and just how varied it can be.
Whilst not as interesting or entertaining as its predecessor, this was still a largely light-hearted read, and one that made me very proud of the NHS and its staff.
August 11, 2014
With short chapters this book was an easy book to dip in and out of and was mostly a lighthearted read.
Having read this on the back of re-reading the first book, I'm looking forward to reading something different now.
I enjoyed the book despite being put off initially when I read chapter 1. (I was eating my lunch at the time and I quickly stopped reading!) This story had its place just not in the opening chapter!
I particularly liked the catch up stories with some of the patients. I think despite being a shorter read and Dr Ben getting on his soapbox, Book 2 was better.
Having read this on the back of re-reading the first book, I'm looking forward to reading something different now.
I enjoyed the book despite being put off initially when I read chapter 1. (I was eating my lunch at the time and I quickly stopped reading!) This story had its place just not in the opening chapter!
I particularly liked the catch up stories with some of the patients. I think despite being a shorter read and Dr Ben getting on his soapbox, Book 2 was better.
July 15, 2015
The feeling of continuity is pleasurable having read Dr Daniels first book, allowing the reader to follow him as he becomes more settles as a partner of an inner city practice. Follow the melodrama of the first day at work, feelings of inadequacy from filling anothers doctors shoes and satisfy your appetite for everything anecdotal as Dr Daniels once again shocks and amuses the reader with medical stories that leave one stuck for words.
A real page-turner, perhaps slightly dull at times and punctuated with the occasional stints of excitment - much like the life of a GP perhaps?
A real page-turner, perhaps slightly dull at times and punctuated with the occasional stints of excitment - much like the life of a GP perhaps?
February 2, 2018
This book is not quite as funny as some of the others in the series but it has plenty of emotion. The stories give the reader plenty to think about. The way we care for the elderly and end-of-life care is brought into question but what surprised me was how vulnerable Daniels is under the weight of his work and responsibility. The book is an eye-opening peek into people’s lives and humanizes the professionals behind our health care.
January 10, 2019
A great sequel ! Dr. Danials is as funny as ever as he deliver his bizarre but often heartwarming experiences with his patients, the NHS , and being a General Practitioner.
If you’ve read the first book and liked it, then you’re going to love this one !
These books have helped me when I’m about to hit a reading slump, it picks up my pace and momentum again.
If you’ve read the first book and liked it, then you’re going to love this one !
These books have helped me when I’m about to hit a reading slump, it picks up my pace and momentum again.
April 16, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. The biographical nature of te book appealed to me, and I found the analogy he used to talk about antibiotics and super bugs to be really informative. It's also very funny!
December 21, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed, even better than the first book in the series.... I actually screamed with laughter which doesn't happen that often when I am reading! Touching, sincere, bitter sweet, easily read and funny. Well done and thank you "Dr Daniels".
December 5, 2018
This book is a massive improvement to the first installment. The judgemental know-it-all tone is gone and there is so much more compassion. The narrative had also become a lot more consistent and that really helps bring forward the role of the GP in the community.
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