Margaret McCartney: Singing the praises of evidence

Biography

Margaret McCartney is a Glasgow GP whose voice—in newspapers, on the radio, online, or in a choir—is never afraid to hit the difficult notes. Her central themes are evidence based medicine, defending the NHS, and a general distaste for public relations spin. In November she was elected to the national council of the Royal College of General Practitioners. A sample tweet: “Patient paradox; too much screening and overtreatment for the well, but not enough time and resources for the sick. Everyone loses.” Her book, The Patient Paradox: Why Sexed up Medicine is Bad for Your Health, was published in 2012. She is 42 and has three children.