2015 in health on Twitter

What happened in health on Twitter? Here’s our look back at the last year...

January

• 2015 started with headlines about a ‘third world NHS’. Here’s a more considered analysis of the NHS’ January blues.
• Our January polling gave little comfort to and of the political parties on health
• Imagine a disease wiping out 64,000 U.S. doctors. Now, you understand the impact of Ebola on medics in Sierra Leone.
• The misuse of literally makes me figuratively insane.

February

• Oh tarrific. @HPIAndyCowper was on great form on the future of tariff and more.
• Labour launched a 10 year plan on health. Mike Birtwistle didn’t think it was a very good idea
• Jacob Rees Mogg wanted to legislate to prevent a nanny state.
• Is Britain now on half measures? It was reported that fewer young people are drinking.
• The election was nearly upon us. Here’s a good reminder of the terror of a photo op gone wrong.
• Beautiful writing by Oliver Sacks on learning he has terminal cancer: “When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate — the genetic and neural fate — of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.”

March

• The world’s deadliest pandemics.
• Our Bill Morgan blogged on why manifestos do matter.
• The opening salvos were fired (or posters posted) in the battle on health in the general election.
• Our Mike Birtwistle argued that the Conservatives needed first-mover advantage on health spending. They got it.
• As the sun set on the 2010 Parliament, we took a look back at a tumultuous five years for the NHS.
• Did bee stings save this woman’s life?

April

• The gentleman’s guide to amputation.
• Over 700 people used our health policy compass to find out who they were closest to on health. Here are the results.
• Causes of musician death by genre.
• Was the Department of Health preparing for a lurch to the far left?
• Here’s a reminder of how health featured in the General Election.

May

• A new parliament was elected. Here was our guide to the new health influencers.
• Jeremy Hunt was returned to Richmond House. Mike Birtwistle argued he deserved a good deal of credit for neutralising health as an election issue.
• The history of the world in a single chart.
• This is how you pose for your ‘elected official’ photo.
• Balancing the books is hard but necessary. Our Bill Morgan blogged on the money.

June

• Apple remote health, end of life planner and neuro implant technicians were all predicted to be some of the hottest jobs in 2025.
• The importance of accurate punctuation and grammar.
• 11 charts that show why Britain faces a carers crisis.
• Sharks vs spiders. The world’s deadliest animals.
• The Supreme Court made a landmark decision on Obamacare. Here’s a simple guide to what it means.

July

• July 2015 saw the 34th anniversary of the @nytimes reporting on the emergence of ‘a rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals’.
• Interesting evidence emerged about the impact of the soda tax in Mexico.
• The Cancer Taskforce published its report. Here was our first take on the challenges it posed to the Government.
• Our Sarah Winstone argued that the public health crisis is a speeding train (and we need more than a nudge to avoid it).
• Meet a ‘catastrophist’ who thinks that longevity is akin to global warming…

August

• Is volunteering good for your health?
• Jeremy Hunt was compared to Jose Mourinho (in how he handles doctors)
• The advent of 3D printed drugs could have multidimensional benefits.
• Constantly checking your phone could be bad for your brain (unless you are looking at last week in health on Twitter)

September

• We moved offices to Hanover Square.
• The 16 most bizarre ICD10 codes. There are some true gems in here.
• The case for teaching ignorance in medicine.
• We took a look at the trio of appointments who will shape Labour’s health policy.
• Britain is one of the most innovative countries (and African countries punch above their weight).
• The Ig Nobel prize winners made people laugh and then think
• Health has been noisy, but not as noisy as you think. We took a look at what hit the headlines.

October

• There were some amazing pictures of the blood super moon.
• Type 1 and type 2 statistical errors explained.
• A moving article on Rosemary Kennedy and the tragedy of lobotomies in 1940s America.
• When a doctor encountered a real vampire in an emergency room.
• The row between the Government and junior doctors continued. Here was Mike Birtwistle’s take on the issue.
• Complex and moving. The story of identical twin boys – but one always knew she was a girl.
• The origins of Hepatitis C have been traced back to World War 2 hospitals.

November

• We had our party! Politicians continued to prove the NHS was a political football… (see image on the right)
• How anxious are people in your area? Find out here.
• The gene hackers – a fascinating article on the potential of CRISPR.
• First dogs, now pigeons. The role of animals in diagnosing cancer continues to grow.
• We had the Spending Review. Although health was declared a ‘winner,’ there is plenty of pain to come
• The pregnant man died. Farewell to a public health icon.

December

• Causes of death in Shakespeare plays.
• New diabetes cases have dropped in America for the first time in 25 years.
• We launched our Christmas game: can you do battle with the Treasury to #save22bn?
• This year’s must-have health policy gift involved NHS procurement…
• The scientific breakthroughs of 2015. You read about most of them in last week in health on Twitter

And finally…

Happy new year!