Walking London’s medical history

OVERALL RATING Good

STRENGTHS Organized into themes that are interesting and relevant to our own health care system

WEAKNESSES Use of inset boxes are confusing and make the timing of events within each chapter hard to follow

AUDIENCE Anyone who has an interest in medical history or would like to become familiar with less touristy parts of London

As the title suggests, this book describes walking tours that are designed to tell the story of how medicine developed in London, preserving the medical legacy of an ever changing city. Hoping to increase understanding of present-day health challenges, the author looks at past and present similarities between the Canadian and British health care systems; as such, the book will be of interest to Canadian physicians. Some of the differences highlighted between “us and them” also provide insight into our own system. The book focuses on smaller institutions, highlighting a few organizations and buildings that would be hard to imagine existing in Canada.

The book is organized into 7 walks, each with a clearly stated theme. The walks illustrate aspects of health care that have changed greatly over time, as well as those that still remain relevant. Issues such as insufficient funding, inter-professional rivalry, and governance of institutions are common challenges identified throughout the history of medicine in London. The changing influences of religion, the rise and fall of affluence in different areas of the city, and the effects of the Second World War are all well illustrated on the walks. The influence of the railway on the ebb and flow of institutions and physicians was fascinating. I found the number of institutions, large and small, that have appeared and disappeared in the London landscape quite staggering. As Canadians consider a move to a public-private system, the amalgamations and splits arising from the move from private care to the National Health Service and back to private again was also interesting and relevant.

The book has a good collection of contemporary photos, old paintings, and maps to demonstrate changes over the centuries. There are also maps to guide the walker, and most of the walks are accessible from the Underground. An overall map to show how the walks relate geographically to each other and to the rest of the city would have been helpful for those not intimately familiar with London.

My biggest frustration with the book was the boxes that were integrated into each chapter to provide background information on common topics. Although the material in these boxes was interesting, it was often at odds with the time sequence discussed in the chapter, causing confusion about the timing of events.

I confess that I love London and have spent quite a bit of time walking around it. I found it fascinating to learn how many hospitals and how much health history I have unknowingly walked past. Someone who has never been to London might find the book to be a challenge. The book can be a little tiresome when reading at home; however, it would be a wonderful way for a physician to enrich a trip to London.

• Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada