Phil Hammond

Philip James Hammond (born 1 January 1962) is a British physician, broadcaster, comedian and commentator on health issues in the United Kingdom.

He is best known for his humorous commentary on the National Health Service.

He first came into the public spotlight writing a column for The Independent newspaper, where he wrote with a strong pro-patient rights line and as Private Eye's medical correspondent "MD".

Hammond lived in Australia until the age of seven when his Australian father, Barrie Rees Hammond, Ph.D., a Cambridge-educated physical chemist, killed himself at the age of 38.

His English mother moved the family back to England.

Hammond was educated at Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School until its closure in 1975, then at its successor St John's Comprehensive, before obtaining a place at Marlborough College as his father had taught there.

Hammond qualified as a doctor in 1987, having studied at Girton College, Cambridge and St Thomas' Hospital Medical School, London.

Hammond has worked as a lecturer in Medical Communication at the Universities of Birmingham and Bristol.

He previously worked as a GP before retraining as an associate specialist in chronic fatigue syndrome.

He starred in his own show 59 Minutes to save the NHS at the Edinburgh Fringe and was one of two doctor-cum-comics who captained teams on a Channel Five medical quiz, Tibs and Fibs, hosted by Tony Slattery.

As well as appearing on Channel 4's longest running programme, Countdown, Hammond has starred in the BBC Two TV series Trust Me, I'm a Doctor and in the BBC Radio 4 series Struck Off and Die and 28 Minutes to Save the NHS.

He has appeared on the BBC TV news quiz Have I Got News for You, as well as the original and longer-running The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4 and The Now Show on the same station.

He also writes the Medicine Balls column in Private Eye, under the pseudonym "M.D."

(use of pseudonyms is routine for Private Eye's regular columnists).

He presents the Music Group on BBC Radio 4 and was a regular contributor to Gabby Logan's Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 5.

He also has a Saturday mid-morning show on BBC Radio Bristol between 9am and 12noon.

While a junior doctor, Hammond contested the 1992 general election under the title "Struck Off and Die Doctor's Alliance".

He ran in the Bristol West constituency against William Waldegrave, the then Secretary of State for Health, capturing 87 votes.

He was one of those who broke the Bristol heart scandal in 1992 and was later called to give evidence at the subsequent enquiry.

He presented two series for BBC Radio 4 of Pillories of the State in 1999/2000 and presents the Music Group, also on Radio 4 (sixth series 2011).

Hammond has also frequently appeared as a guest in the Dictionary Corner on Countdown.

There are two editions (1999 and 2002), both out of print.

Hammond co-presented The Heaven and Earth Show on BBC1 with Juliet Morris in 2000.

In 2009, Hammond broke allegations about pathology misdiagnosis in Bristol, the subject of an independent inquiry chaired by Jane Mishcon.

He also campaigned for an inquiry into the sacking of Cornwall chief executive John Watkinson.

His Private Eye columns are available on his website.

Hammond toured the UK between 2011 and 13 with Dr Phil's Rude Health Show, which was released on DVD in two parts: Dr Phil's Rude Health Show and Confessions of a Doctor.

They were broadcast of BBC Radio 4 Extra in August 2011.

He returned to the Edinburgh Fringe for the eighth time in 2011.

In July 2011, Hammond co-authored a Private Eye special investigation with Andrew Bousfield called Shoot the Messenger, exposing the shocking treatment of NHS whistleblowers and how large sums of public money are used to silence them and cover up their concerns.

It triggered an early day motion in Parliament by Peter Bottomley, MP.

Hammond and Bousfield also launched a website dedicated to NHS staff, patients and relatives who have highlighted concerns about safety in the NHS.

They were involved in referring Barbara Hakin to the General Medical Council.

In September 2013 he began touring the UK with a new show, Games to Play with Your Doctor.

Hammond did two shows at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe: Life and Death (But Mainly Death) and Dr Phil's NHS Revolution.

He toured them together as Dr Phil's Health Revolution in 2017.

Hammond was a presenter for BBC Radio Bristol from 2007, broadcasting on Saturday mornings until on 21 August 2018, he was sacked from the show, after announcing his intention to stand for election as an MP for the National Health Action Party, in the constituency of Jacob Rees-Mogg.

In August 2018 he announced his intention to stand for election as an MP for the National Health Action Party, in the North East Somerset constituency of Jacob Rees-Mogg.

As a result, the BBC sacked him from his Bristol radio show.

Hammond co-authored Trust Me, I'm a Doctor (Metro Books) with Michael Mosley, the executive producer of the BBC2 series of the same name.