Rethinking our daily routine

Disruption to something we almost take for granted, such as the London Underground, can have us rethinking our daily routine.

As millions walk, cycle or take the bus to work today instead of going by Tube, it is a heavy blow for already hard-pressed commuters.

In medicine many consultants and doctors are increasingly trying to use technology to make life easier for patients, especially with regard to travel.

Recently I conducted a consultation with a patient in China via video-conferencing. The alternative would have been a very expensive journey for the woman, several days of travelling and no doubt the inconvenience of sorting out all the necessary paperwork to go abroad.

Technology has brought us closer together and means that we can not only shop, work and life our lives almost from home, but we can also access specialised services from the comfort of our living rooms.

However the Tube strike is a reminder that sometimes we rely on older technology – in the case of the Underground dating back to Victorian times.

In a few years perhaps the situation will be different with more people working from home. No doubt technology will have advanced again and online consultations with people in remote corners of the world will be common practice in medicine.

In the meantime like many Londoners I’ll be walking and taking the bus to work today – hope there’s a good service on the pavement over Putney bridge!

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