Dr Phil Hammond

As well as a full-time doctor, he was also half of Struck Off and Die, who had five sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. 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 UK tour.

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.

Phil’s first TV sitcom, Doctors and Nurses, co-written with Nigel Smith, was broadcast on BBC One in 2004. His sitcom, Polyoaks, about GPs struggling with the current health reforms, is on Radio 4. Phil also presented The Music Group on Radio 4.

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.

Phil is married to Jo, also a GP, and has two children, two Labradors, two cats, two ponies and a full head of ginger hair.