A personal 'logbook' scheme, in which patients can keep a record of the medical treatment they have received, has been started by Dr Harry Howell at the Candida and Colon Clinic in Sherborne, Dorset, as part of his campaign to take the mystique out of medicine.
Dr Howell explained: 'Patients have a right to know the truth about their condition and having a logbook to keep with them certainly helps them to feel more relaxed and involved with their treatment.'
Dr Howell fills in the patient's logbook himself, and despite the extra time this takes he is convinced the benefits to the patient far outweigh the disadvantages to him.
Dr Howell, Principal, Candida and Colon Clinic, 93 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LS (tel 0935 813257). This scheme was highly commended in the Social Inventions Awards.