Phil Hammond

Who is Phil Hammond?

Dr Philip Hammond is a general practitioner who has become noted as a comedian and commentator on health issues in the United Kingdom. He lived in Australia until the age of seven when his Australian father died and his English mother moved the family back to England. Hammond was educated at Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School, St John's Comprehensive, Marlborough, and Marlborough College. He qualified as a doctor in 1987, from Girton College, Cambridge University and St Thomas' Hospital Medical School, London. He has worked as a Lecturer in Medical Communication at the Universities of Birmingham and Bristol and currently works as a GP. He is best known 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 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 BBC Two 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 original and longer-running 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 Medicine Balls, under the pseudonym "M.D.".