Helen Laird

I'd love a nomination to The Grey List by anyone who read BLOOD DRIVE:
After a domestic abuse survivor marries a small-town doctor, she suspects her stepson is a vampire preying on children, including her hemophiliac daughter.

THE LOST BOYS meets THE STEPFATHER.

It’s a 1 from me.

That would have been SO funny and I say that as a mother.

It played well at the cinema. Beautiful cinematography.

That’s interesting. I was thinking of it as a social thriller with the consequences cancellation rather than death. And a bit about who you are on the outside (performative protest) vs conflicting self interest.

This is true. It is the best email I got this year.

YouTube video by Cat K Reece Witherspoon Woman of the Year full speech - Ambition is not a dirty word!

Now watching Passengers. I was enjoying until Aurora’s “what do we do now?” line. Reminds me of this Reese Witherspoon Speech and now I can’t enjoy the rest of the movie ‘cause I’m cross. #scriptsky

Blue lemons. My print shop is now open for the next 72 hours with 3 limited edition prints. I only open my print shop once a year. #oilpainting #art

BMJ article. Excerpt here. Every time there’s a new plan for the NHS, I worry that those creating the models don’t realise how messy and expansive healthcare is. The NHS 10 year plan hails the new “doctor in your pocket” to provide knowledge, in the form of the NHS App.1 But this drive for online accessibility misses the point that people still need a trusted clinician to interpret their concerns and support an action plan. Half the population have limited health literacy.2 A quarter of adults have multiple comorbidities,3 so single issue advice may be less relevant to them. Knowledge alone isn’t enough. Patients need to be walked through the practicalities of care as well as the information. When designers of health services put barriers in place to limit interventions or investigations, these are often viewed by patients and surgeons as unfair rationing.4 In response, policy makers and service planners aim to democratise health information to inform decision making. But this relies on the assumption that patients’ behaviours and decisions are grounded in logic and evidence, which may be misguided. Clinicians can play a vital role in preventing unwarranted intervention but only when they have the time to individualise care. This helps the NHS remain cost effective, avoiding expensive and risky interventions.

I think @scarlettmcnally.bsky.social is absolutely right in this piece from the @bmj.com last month.

Some bits of healthcare can be simple and transactional, but a lot is much more nuanced, and there’s an important role for senior wise clinicians.

Link:
www.bmj.com/content/391/...

#MedSky

Let’s try a little #MedSky game. When I finished med school:
-gastric lavage had been scrapped for ODs
- Doxapram was still used for T2 resp failure in COPD
- co-danthrusate was widely used,
- Quinolones were magic and only consultants were allowed to prescribe them.

What year did I qualify?

It’s 2025 and solicitors are still addressing their letters to hospitals with “Dear Sirs”.
Really???!!! Shall i wait until a man is available to action your request?

I don’t really care if AURORA BOREALIS NORTHERN LIGHTS happened to you. It should have happened to me instead.

First book of the day, the indomitable Kathy Burke's memoir, "A Mind of My Own"! - Michael

This is why I have never subscribed to the “too many managers” narrative.

NHS managers do an important and undervalued job and we need more of them.

They’re not in it for the glory or the money are they. These are good people who work hard to help front line staff provide the best care.

Just finished the proof of The Golden Monkey Mystery by @piudg.bsky.social, out 15th Jan - now that's an adventure story as adventure stories are meant to be! Death! Monkeys! Jewels! Danger! A subtle deconstruction of colonial childhood narratives! #KidLitUK #UKKidlit

I was reading that Bluesky!

Chef’s kiss, humans

Thankyou 🙏🏼

There are obvious parallels, to me at least, between seeing working-class and more diverse characters on screen alongside the number of w/c & diverse screenwriters seeing their scripts produced and actors playing those roles. Talent is everywhere, equal opportunities aren’t. #ScriptSkyUK #ScriptSky

Screenwriting Weekender - New Writing North

Anyone fancy a lovely weekend in Newcastle meeting Russell T Davies, other high profile screenwriters, industry professionals and production companies?

Would love to go with someone. Make a great weekend of it.

newwritingnorth.com/event/screen...

#ScriptSkyUK #ScriptSky #WritingCommunity.

Just requested ax “Xray penis” rather than “Xray pelvis” and don’t know whether to blame my varifocals, the screen size, or the multiple interruptions I had whilst trying to place the blasted order 🤦🏼‍♀️😳 #humanfactors

#scriptskyuk

Wrong hashtag

My mum took me to see Shirley Valentine at the Brixton Ritzy (pre-refurb) when I was 10. As it was a 15 it was a bit naughty. I loved it. “Boat is boat…”

Anyone know where I can watch it right now?

#ukscriptsky

Ooh I’ve been wanting to watch this for ages. Thank you!

Covid jab less harmful than the virus itself, study reveals It comes amid previous concerns about potential harm from the jab

Let’s step up & vaccinate more people in the UK. This is the first year since it was available that I couldn’t get a Covid vaccine as a front line medic. I caught it in September & have been getting back to back viruses since no doubt due to Covid dampening my immune response.
#covid #nhs #vaccine

Ad for Pluribus on a curved screen. It features an artist’s closeup portrait of Rhea Seehorn, in character against a yellow background. About 3/4 of her head is visible. She’s looking up, her mouth open and expression troubled. Her hair is windblown. The ad reads From the creator of Breaking Bad. Pluribus, new series Nov. 7. The I in Pluribus is a 1.

Hey, hey, this premiered tonight on Apple TV. My husband and a whole lotta friends of mine spent the last few years making it. It’s very good. You should check it out.

Watching Back to the future with my kid and boy they don’t make PGs like that anymore.

Swearing, voyeurism, incestuous attraction and an attempted rape.

I still enjoyed it though so did the kid.

Today's Work in Progress

Discussion of lots of people being on long term sick leave since 2019 without mentioning covid is like talking about wwii without mentioning bombs or guns. And yet....

Such a mystery, what MASS DISABLING EVENT could have happened after 2019 to cause this?