Between filming a new series of Embarrassing Bodies, working two London GP clinics, advising the UK oil industry, working with numerous health charities, and maintaining his work as a private consultant (to say nothing of his regular columns for Closer magazine, Attitude, and The Evening Standard), Doctor Christian Jessen has found time to write his second book.
He is, it seems, rather in demand. Yet speaking exclusively to Vision, he assures me that the book is just one of a collection of new projects in the pipeline. ‘Can I Just Ask?’ is a veritable compendium of the last minute, hand-on-the-doorknob questions that GPs around the country answer every day. It’s no dusty medical tome, however; “it’s answers to the questions I’m asked at dinner parties, book signings, even on the street,” Dr Jessen tells me. “It’s the sort of book I hope people will dip into, and then want to know the answer to the next question, and the next.” Some urban myths should prepare to be busted, with the book addressing queries like ‘does reading in the dark really damage your eyes?’, ‘will you get cramp if you go swimming too soon?’
No stranger to the medically bizarre, Doctor Jessen is one of the presenters of the BAFTA award-winning Embarrassing Bodies series, in which members of the public, who are too anxious to visit their GP, present their awkward symptoms for all the nation to see, in the hope of finding a cure. With a format which had the potential to become the ultimate in ‘car crash telly’ I asked Doctor Jessen what he thought was the key to its massive success. “It’s real life and it’s real people, but it’s not cruel.” he answers, succinctly. “I get so sick of nasty telly, and perhaps there’s an element of voyeurism in the show, but we don’t mock our patients, and I wouldn’t be involved with it if that’s how it ran.”
However, when I quiz Jessen about the under-representation of mental health issues on the show I discover that their unerring commitment to responsible treatment of participants can hinder as much as it can help. “It’s not that it’s a taboo at all, or that we’re reluctant to cover it. All our contributors have to be assessed by a psychiatrist as being fit and capable of giving their consent to be filmed, and that’s where we run into problems. So as much as we may want to feature someone with depression, we have issues over whether they can truly consent.” He assures me, however, that there are discussions taking place about mental health specials, and that the upcoming Embarrassing Fat Bodies (obesity special, to be aired in 2011) will touch on the mental facets behind weight issues.
The ‘SmearGate’ scandal of last year, in which Prime Ministerial aide Damian McBride was discovered to have sent e-mails suggesting possible hate campaigns against David Cameron, launched Jessen into the public (and political) eye. One of the correspondences suggested spreading rumours about the Conservative leader suffering from an embarrassing medical condition, and mentioned Jessen by name. So does he feel that the irresponsible behaviour damaged the work he had done to destigmatise sexual health? “My feelings about it were two-fold,” he explained, “I was furious that our political leaders would act like sniggering school boys. This is why our nation’s sexual health is in crisis. On the other hand, all publicity is good publicity, and it has cemented me as the go-to-guy for embarrassing conditions.”
As soon as I mention the NHS Jessen is guarded; he is regularly asked how he would go about solving its extensive issues. He’s been quoted as suggesting GPs charge small fees for their consultations to deter time-wasters and to drum up revenue. This makes me curious; isn’t this the man trying to get us back in the GP office, to ask the awkward questions and not to keep them to ourselves? “It is tricky. The NHS is a finite resource, whereas human want is bottomless. Quite frankly, it’s outdated. It served its purpose once and it no longer does.”
But what of these mixed messages? Jessen sighs, “You get some rubbish in your surgery which makes GPs cross. It’s not a mixed message, but you can tell whether you need to see your doctor or not simply by being a bit more informed about your health. In our nanny state we don’t expect to have to do any of our own research, and it’s that which needs to change.”
Earlier this year Vision reported on the university health centre falling below national guideline standards two years running, and students being reluctant to visit. Possible new directives will see patients able to choose their own surgery, rather than being tied by their postcode. I asked Jessen if he thought this would improve patient-doctor relationships; he was enthusiastic. “I hope so. The NHS is essentially a business and the only way that works is by competition. If your surgery isn’t getting enough patients through the doors you won’t receive much funding. It’s simple business. The NHS should absolutely run like that.”
I’m done with the political questions now, I announce, and we both breathe a sigh of relief. Students aren’t renowned for their healthy lifestyle, and I want to know whether our unceasing hedonism is doing us any long-term damage. “The liver is pretty brilliant at regenerating,” Jessen begins, alleviating my hangover guilt slightly. “But it’s the habits we form that are dangerous. If you’re undisciplined you’ll find it hard when you hit the real world.”
After a spate of alleged drink spikings in Freshers’ Week, I ask if this is something we should be seriously concerned about. “Drink spiking is a lot rarer than people think. And many of the common substances used, such as GHB and GBL, don’t do long-term damage, so the major concern should be your safety at the time. If you feel odd make sure your friends are aware.” There’s a pause, and Jessen seems to reconsider his answer, “of course, if you’re in doubt, always see your doctor; better to be safe than sorry!”
Jessen identifies closely with students, and has written articles in criticism of the conditions in which junior doctors are expected to work. I ask him about exam stress, and the lengths people go to to stay awake for last-minute revision. “The trouble with energy drinks and caffeine shots and the like,” he explains, “is that we really don’t know very much about them. For that reason alone I’d steer clear if possible. But the main problem is this student myth that staying up all night before an exam cramming will help. It just won’t. You’re far better off getting a good night’s sleep and going into your exam with your wits about you.”
This isn’t novel advice, and perhaps Jessen senses my scepticism as he quickly adds “I know you’ve heard all this before, but trust me, I talk from experience. Take it from someone who did very little work throughout his medical degree and had to play catch-up at the end!”
Doctor Christian Jessen’s new book, ‘Can I Just Ask?’ is on sale now in most large book stores.