The Honourable Doctor

Westminster Hall, 13 December 1828. Midnight. Thousands are massed outside. Newspapers are holding their presses. James Lambert, a young apothecary-surgeon, has accused a leading surgeon at Guy's Hospital of killing a patient. Never before has a doctor's competence been challenged in a court. What drove him to take on the medical establishment, risking everything he'd always wanted? For two centuries his contribution to the making of modern health care has lain unrecognised. This novel, based on true events, tells his extraordinary story.

Nick Black is professor of health services research at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He's spent many years studying health care, helping students understand how to improve its quality, and advising national policymakers. The author of Walking London's Medical History, which won awards from the British Medical Association and the Society of Authors, this is his first novel. He lives in London and Herne Bay with his wife and two black cats.