Phil Hammond (comedian)

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Dr Phil Hammond is a doctor who has become noted as a comedian and commentator on health issues in the UK. Although he still works part time as a GP he is most famous 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. He has since 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 the 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 BBC2 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 somewhat similar and longer-running (but less well known) The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4 and The Now Show on the same station. He also writes a column in Private Eye usually named Doing the Rounds, under the pseudonym M.D. (most of the Eye's writers are anonymous and it is typical for writers to adopt appropriate pseudonyms)^[1].

Hammond currently lives in Chew Magna, having moved there from Northfield, Birmingham. He now presents the Saturday mid-morning show on BBC Radio Bristol between 10am and 1pm.