Dr Phil Hammond

Phil Hammond qualified as a doctor in 1987, became a GP in 1991 and has also worked in sexual health. He was half of Struck Off and Die, who had five sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, were twice selected for the Perrier Pick of the Fringe and won Writers’ Guild and Silver Sony Awards for their Radio 4 series. In 2002, Phil fronted ‘28 Minutes to Save the NHS” on Radio 4, which he extended to a sell out Edinburgh Fringe Show, and a highly successful 60-date UK tour .

He is currently touring his latest show called ‘Games to Play with Your Doctor’. Phil’s shows are available on DVD, and he has also written three books, ‘Medicine Balls’ – a comic prescription for the NHS, ‘Trust Me. I’m Still a Doctor’ – a collection of his investigative journalism for Private Eye, and ‘Sex, Sleep or Scrabble?’ – a pleasure seekers manual. His latest book will be released in 2014.

Phil has written Private Eye’s medical columns, ‘Doing the Rounds’ and ‘Medicine Balls’, since 1992, and broke the story of the Bristol heart scandal. He gave evidence to the subsequent Public Inquiry and presented five series of “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” on BBC 2, exposing wide variations in care across the NHS. He is a strong advocate of patients, both as a Vice President of the Patients Association and a Patron of the Herpes Viruses Association. He is also a patron of the Doctors Support Network, for doctors with mental health problems.

He has survived Ruby Wax and “Have I Got News For You” (seven times), has appeared many times on ‘The News Quiz’, ‘The Now Show’. ‘The One Show’ and ‘Countdown.’ He was the only doctor to appear for the prosecution on Channel 4’s “Doctors on Trial”. Phil has been reported to the General Medical Council by William Hague’s Press Secretary. He also starred in BBC One’s latest health show initiative entitled “Long Live Britain”.

Phil’s first TV sitcom, “Doctors and Nurses”, co-written with Nigel Smith, was broadcast on BBC 1 in 2004. His radio 4 sitcom, Polyoaks, about GPs struggling with the current health reforms, has been commissioned for a new series by BBC Radio 4. Phil also presents The Music Group on Radio 4, which is in its fifth series.

Phil has been a Lecturer in Medical Communication at the Universities of Birmingham and Bristol and currently works as a part time GP in the Bristol area. He is much in demand as a speaker, facilitator and conference chair, and was recently described by Professor Michael Rawlins, Chair of NICE, as “the best chair we’ve ever had”.

Dr Phil Hammond’s fantastic ‘Sex, Sleep or Scrabble? – Seriously Funny Answers to Life’s Quirkiest Questions’ is the perfect read to find the answers to some seriously bizarre questions!