WEEKEND COLUMNISTS
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Margaret McCartney qualified in medicine from Aberdeen University in 1994 and is in partnership in Glasgow. She has written for a variety of publications and her FT health column started in July 2005.
Her main interests are the increased medicalisation of life, the certainty of uncertainty, and the ethics and dilemmas of medical research. - -
Screen test
The problem with screening for cancer is that because it sounds useful, we have difficulty in believing it when the evidence tells us it is not, says Margaret McCartney
Myths of motherhood
A study that suggests the children of working mothers are ‘less healthy’ than those of non-working mothers is misleading, says Margaret McCartney
The inner voice
Margaret McCartney is a follower of evidence-based medicine, but she also believes that there are times when we should let our guts lead
Mindful, but wary
Margaret McCartney casts doubt on ‘mindfulness meditation’ – an intervention being touted in many areas of healthcare for its potential applications
Out for the count
The population is allegedly in peril over the decrease in sperm quantity and quality, but Margaret McCartney wonders if the number of conceptions are being affected
False economies
Cost-effectiveness calculations help patients make choices about healthcare, but such scores often raise more questions than answers, says Margaret McCartney
Don’t knock nurses
There is no doubt that bad nursing care is a problem, but it should not lead people to imagine hospitals staffed entirely by slapdash workers, writes Margaret McCartney
Crib notes
In the case of car beds, there seems to be evidence to suggest that the reclining baby is healthier than its propped-up counterpart, writes Margaret McCartney
Fatal flaws
Debbie Purdy’s victory in the debate on assisted dying has raised legal concerns and religious objections, but Margaret McCartney’s unease is far more practical
Low teen spirits
Talking therapies for young people with depressive illness are worth trying, but antidepressants are an option, too. Margaret McCartney examines the risks
