Good afternoon,
Retired (fourth generation) GP and Wimborne, Dorset resident Tim Howard today celebrates the release of his debut novel - Let's Kill All The Lawyers. A medical fiction thriller that explores the impact of life and death events, mistakes and forgiveness, and the impact of law and justice on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people doing their best in difficult circumstances. Tim spent the latter part of his career as chairman of the tribunal service that judges doctors who are accused of failing, thereby setting the standards for all UK doctors. It is this that has led him to question some of the standards of present day medicine, and to explore how and why the NHS is in the state that it now is.
The novel is based on Tim's own experiences as a doctor, but is also an attempt to heal the scars caused by a challenging period in his career, mirrored in the novel, in which he was sued by a patient he had done his best for. For Tim, the idea behind the book came to him when he wanted to try to explain to the pubic and other doctors how the system can be 'unfair' and punitive. The situation led him to change careers into medical regulation and law, and to become chairman of the General Medical Council disciplinary tribunal system. Tim acknowledges the novel is also an attempt to demonstrate the 'glass ceiling' he saw being faced daily by female professionals.
And raises the debate around what constitutes a 'good death' in hospitals - and how modern medicine can prolong death rather than prolong life. Let's Kill All The Lawyers raises the issue of what constitutes ‘a good death' in hospitals, and how modern medicine can prolong death rather than prolong life.
This is particularly pertinent right now given the assisted dying Bill was debated in a second hearing last week in the House of Commons. Tim is happy to answer questions on this Bill based on his own experiences as chairman of the GMC disciplinary tribunal system and as a fourth-generation GP.
A recent reviewer said, "This is a 5 star book. This is a novel that explores what it is like to be a doctor faced with an impossible problem, and how the problem can come back to bite you. It shows how the law can influence doctors, for good and bad, and how expectations of cure can be counterproductive. It takes us into the personal lives and loves of those charged with caring for us, and how these can be disrupted by their work."
Digital and paperback copies of Let's Kill All The Lawyers are available for review, competition prizes etc.
The novel is available to buy online as ebook and paperback and in all good bookshops, published by Brown Dog Books. Here's a link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/LETS-KILL-ALL-LAWYERS-Prick/dp/1839523301/
We hope we can send you a copy of this new medical fiction today! Please see below for more information.
Thanks,
Helen Lewis
Director - Literally PR
www.literallypr.com
ADVANCE INFORMATION SHEET
Let's Kill All The Lawyers
By Dr Tim Howard
"Inspired by the reality of being a GP under the microscope with themes of forgiveness - for ourselves and others."
A doctor. A good doctor. Doing his best for a difficult patient, but being sued for doing so.
A solicitor, her marriage failing, beset by personal demons, trying to defend him in court.
Let's Kill All The Lawyers explores, through a fictional narrative, the difference between the law, justice and fairness, and how it affects the lives of ordinary people who are doing their best in difficult circumstances. And how life and death events can damage individuals, drive them apart, and ultimately bring them together.
Mistakes. We all make them. But what if you make a mistake, just a simple mistake, and it leads to a disaster for someone you are falling in love with? How will you own up? Will they forgive you? Will you ever forgive yourself? This is a story about failure loss and final resolution, both personal and professional.
About the Author
Dr Tim Howard is a doctor, a fourth generation GP. His whole life has been about caring for patients. Tim trained at one of the best London hospitals, and worked in an academic department there, doing clever high-tech medicine, but realised that his real calling was in the homes and lives of patients in the community, providing long term care.
It was only when he realised that some - lots - of medicine wasn't as good as he thought it was that he became involved in standards and regulation, trying to improve the system. Tim spent the latter part of his career as chairman of the tribunal service that judges doctors who are accused of failing, thereby setting the standards for all UK doctors. It is this that has led him to question some of the standards of present day medicine, and to explore how and why the NHS is in the state that it now is.
ESSENTIAL DETAILS
Title:Let's Kill All The Lawyers
Subtitle:If You Prick Me, Do I Not Bleed?
Author:Dr Tim Howard
Genre:Medical Fiction, Medical Thriller, Adult Fiction
Publisher:Brown Dog Books
Publication date:October 28th2021
Availability:Paperback, eBook, International distribution
ISBN:9798670211741
Page count:352
Price:£8.99
Online media folder:bit.ly/LetsKillAllTheLawyers
Media requests & enquiries:info@literallypr.com,www.literallypr.com