Is anyone listening to the Reith Lectures this year?

[TheTravellingLemon]

Absolutely fascinating. Particularly the one about the problem of hubris. Very interesting talk about the medicalisation of death. I highly recommend.

[MegCleary]

Me, me. He is a wonderful speaker. I have begged Mumsnet to get him for a web chat.

[SuperLemonCrush]

Yes! I was in the car when I heard the one about Doctors getting things wrong and then the one about Saving the Drowned child...at first I thought "he's speaking so slowly, he's not saying anything much at all" ...... and then had to sit in the car park until he'd finished, completely drawn in. Will catch up with the others....

[TheTravellingLemon]

Isn't he? I agree, he would be great for a Web chat. I felt totally enthralled by his views on assisted dying and end of life care. It is strange that death is such a taboo seeing as it comes to us all.

[TheTravellingLemon]

I always catch these things in the car and end up camped out until they finish! It must be a Lemon thing

[IssyStark]

Yep definitely.

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

Yes I've been listening.

It's strange - I don't think he's saying anything new but he says it so compellingly.

[MegCleary]

I do think he is saying sensible honest things. We will all die. We should be able to discuss it and if ill when we get towards decide what is important to us. More treatment. Ending a family rift. What would you want when you know time is limited?

He said he wants to disrupt peoples thinking. I think there needs to be a national conversation on this topic. Some doctors and some families do it. I think death should no longer be hidden & also that there are limits to what medicine can do acknowledged.

[TheTravellingLemon]

I agree Meg and I also think that there is a limit to what medicine should do. I lost a friend to cancer and she died in hospital. Her awful experience was exactly what he described and as terrible as it sounds to say now, she never found peace. I think she would have benefited from the kind of support he was talking about, but even though her condition was terminal, it was only ever treated in terms of the medicine and she needed something more.

[MegCleary]

That is sad she went through that. I have seen it done well and badly over the years (am a nurse). I think a national conversation on this subject is necessary. Society, not just doctors and health professionals need to address the issues and not keep it hidden.

[Bluestocking]

Isn't he great? He's written some good books too. I agree he'd be an interesting person for a web chat.

[TheTravellingLemon]

I have really enjoyed the lectures this year, even if they did awaken sad memories. He spoke about such personal experiences by way of explanation, it made it all the more compelling.

I listened to them for the first time last year and really enjoyed them too.

[OxonConfusedDotCom]

Very thought-provoking. Agree with whoever said his argument was compelling despite being nothing new.

[Excelsa]

Loved them. I also got stuck in the car listening to the hubris one Lemon. His books are great too.

[AllMimsyWereTheBorogoves]

I agree, this year's lectures were excellent, especially the Hubris one.

They're on i-player here.

The speaker's name is Dr Atul Gawande. I didn't know anything about him before but I've found him very impressive.