John Launer

3 weeks ago | bmj.com | John Launer

John Launer, GP educator and writerLondonjohnlauner{at}aol.comFollow John on Bluesky @johnlauner.bsky.socialI spend a lot of time teaching communication skills, although I prefer to call them interactional skills, which suggests more of a two way street. Much of what I cover relates to speaking and listening, although you can’t ignore body language too: eye contact, sitting position, and so on. One experience I mention quite often is seeing a video of my own consultations for the first time.

1 month ago | bmj.com | John Launer

John Launer, GP educator and writerLondonjohnlauner{at}aol.comFollow John on Bluesky @johnlauner.bsky.socialLike many doctors working beyond retirement age, I now work for various institutions within the NHS and outside it, including universities. They’re all splendid organisations in many ways, but they have their annoyances too. Many of these are due to the increasing dominance of regulation, governance, and risk avoidance. Let me give a couple of examples.

2 months ago | bmj.com | John Launer

Opinion Talking Point BMJ 2025; 388 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r307 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;388:r307 John Launer, GP educator and writerLondonjohnlauner{at}aol.comFollow John on Bluesky @johnlauner.bsky.socialA while ago I was on my way with colleagues to run a residential session for GP trainees when we got caught up in appalling traffic. The topic for the event was “living with uncertainty,” so there was some irony in this.

2 months ago | bmj.com | John Launer

John Launer, GP educator and writerLondonjohnlauner{at}aol.comFollow John on Bluesky @johnlauner.bsky.social“What’s your view of herd immunity?” someone non-medical asked me at a party recently. “How long have you got?” I replied. It’s my way of avoiding an argument when I sense that somebody wants to lecture me rather than learn anything. My instinct proved right. The man ignored my response and embarked on an anti-vax sermon.

Jan 15, 2025 | bmj.com | John Launer

John Launer, GP educator and writerLondonjohnlauner{at}aol.comFollow John on X @johnlaunerA wonderfully absurdist NHS fantasy has been doing the rounds on social media. It stemmed from a case vignette in a government document, Reforming Elective Care for Patients,1 in a text box illustrating how patients can be empowered by accessing their results on the NHS App. I’m a great fan of patient empowerment and have nothing against the NHS App.