Phil Hammond
Dr Phil Hammond retired as an NHS doctor after 35 years in 2022 but still works as a journalist, broadcaster, speaker, campaigner and comedian. He was a GP for 20 years, worked in sexual health and as a lecturer in medical communication at two universities (Birmingham and Bristol). He spent 11 years in a specialist team for young people with severe fatigue, including post viral fatigue, ME and long Covid.
Phil presented the first five series of “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” on BBC2, produced by his good friend Michael Mosely. They won two BMA awards for excellence in medical broadcasting.
Phil has been Private Eye’s medical correspondent for 33 years, broke the story of the Bristol heart scandal in 1992 and is possibly the only comedian to have appeared at a Public Inquiry; his coverage of the pandemic in Private Eye was highly praised, and a book of the columns – “Dr Hammond’s Covid Casebook “ was a Sunday Times bestseller. His other books are “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor” – with Michael Mosley – “Trust Me, I’m Still a Doctor“, “Medicine Balls”, “Sex, Sleep or Scrabble?“ and “Staying Alive – How to Improve Your Health and Your Healthcare“.
As a comedian, Phil was half of the award-winning double-act, Struck Off and Die, with Tony Gardner. They won a Writer’s Guild Award, a Silver Sony Award and received record numbers of complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Council. Everyone is delighted that after a loooonng hiatus, they are writing a new Radio 4 series, “Doctor on Hold” due for tx later this year.
His NHS comedy “Polyoaks”, written with David Spicer, had five series on Radio 4. He also presented multiple series of “Pillories of the State”, “The Music Group” and “The Motion Show” for Radio 4. In his series – “Dr Phil’s Bedside Manner“, Phil toured NHS hospitals, chatting intimately with staff, patients, carers and volunteers, and then cheered them up with a comedy show. Phil took two shows to the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe: “Dr Hammond’s Covid Inquiry” and “How I Ruined Medicine“, which is also available on BBC Sounds along with his new podcast, “Doctor Doctor“.
Over his distinguished career he has also appeard on “Have I Got News For You”, “Question Time”, “Countdown”, “The One Show” and “Long Live Britain”.
He has done Edinburgh fringe shows since 1990 and four solo UK tours. He was at the Fringe again in 2024 with “Fifty Minutes to Save the NHS “with Dame Clare Gerada and “The Ins and Outs of Pleasure”.
Phil has spent the last 18 months investigating whether the nurse Lucy Letby committed the crimes she has been found guilty of. His columns on the Trial of Lucy Letby have been entered for the Paul Foot Award for Investigative Journalism (2025) and are available here .
Represented by Vivienne Clore