British Medtalk (ePub)

There is no book like this on the market. I never dreamed when I came over to the UK in 2005, that I'd need to learn a completely new vocabulary, but I did; I figured I wasn't the first foreigner to have the problem. So I began a file on my trusty Powerbook, expecting to cobble together a glossary of 500 terms which I'd make available to anyone interested (how hard could it be...I've been writing medical dictionaries for nearly 30 years?). I was wrong...I wrapped the first edition last month with over 6300 entries. It is heavily weighted towards the NHS-the UK's largest employer, doctor training and re-training and the GMC but, thanks to Dr Hepplewhite who lent her editorial pen to the madness, includes material relevant to GPs and the looming GP commissioning of services from any willing provider. The "locals" have a fondness for abbreviations-and rarely translate them unless asked; British Medtalk lists 2500 of those abbreviations and 15,000 usual and alternatives. Finally, I couldn't resist the fun stuff which comprises perhaps 2% of the bulk of this otherwise serious project. I was compelled to include biographical sketches of William Burke, Miss Whiplash, Harold Shipman, Fred West, details about both the high and mighty (posh, public schools, received pronunciation and knighthood) and the hooligans (ASBOs, the feral underclass, London riots, Vicky Pollard, yobs). To give the package a splash of colour, I shamelessly commandeered images from the internet. I hope you like it. Joe