In his debut novel, Holiday SOS, Ben MacFarlane describes the life of an itinerant doctor who travels around the world to bring injured clients home to the UK on behalf of insurance companies. McFarlane relates several amusing anecdotes about the patients he meets, their injuries and the travelling involved in bring them back to the UK. He interweaves the stories of his patient recoveries with minutiae of his romantic life and the office politics.
Surprisingly MacFarlane's descriptions of medical procedures, tourist destinations and everyday life make for enjoyable, light reading. In addition, this book will make you think twice about refusing travel medical insurance on your future trips! Well written and highly readable!

I love books like this, ones that expose the behind the scenes sides of certain jobs. Earlier in the year I read Adam Kay's book 'This is Going to Hurt' which wasn't dissimilar so when I saw this pop up on Netgalley I knew I had to read it.
Ben Macfarlane is a repatriation doctor, meaning if you are in trouble abroad then he flies over to bring you home. Most of his stories seem fairly straight forward but it also shows how alone and resourceful you have to be at 35000 feet.
I enjoyed the stories but they didn't make me feel the same as alot of Adam Kay's did. I enjoyed them, dont get me wrong, and they seemed real, I don't want to be reading over exaggerated rubbish but they didn't make me laugh or cry the same as Adam's did. The story of Mrs Dean was the only exception. That story broke me.
I also felt like the ending was quite abrupt. Yes, it really did highlight that the job isn't for everyone with Ben's colleague Rebecca leaving for the cruise ships but Ben's future was quite unclear. Did he stay with Cassie? Did he continue with repatriation? It says he works in a London hospital now but why? Did he get fed up with never being home? I was left wanting more. 4.5/5 stars from me.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dr Ben McFarlane’s experiences as a medical repatriation doctor, maybe this enjoyment was enhanced as I work in the medical field.

Based on extracts in his diary of his working years in the job, he explains at the end that he hopes he’s excused for writing about the most exciting ones......it does make a good story though!
A very easy to read novel with stories that are easy to pick up and put down and his enthusiasm for the job and travel shows. I notice that this book is a re release, as the original was published in 2009 but I don’t think that makes any difference at all.
I look forward to reading some more of his exploits on a cruise ship!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy to read.

Absolutely the best book I have read in ages! This series of anecdotes made me laugh and cry in equal measure. The writing was fantastic, I loved how the book was written somewhat like a diary and the tales of medical repatriation were obviously true and well described. As soon as I finished the book, I immediately looked for others by the same author and found 'cruise ship SOS' which I have also read (in a day!) and loved. I just can't wait for this author to write more, and sincerely hope he will do.

The author gave insight into a type of medicine that I had no idea existed. I enjoyed reading about his travels and the unique cases that he treated, especially the embarrassing ones! I am still shocked that there is a doctor that focuses on vacation injuries and illness and in transporting those patients back to England.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

What a wonderful job this sound like – well, minus the mid air cardiac arrest or dealing with that trio of women in Tunisia. They really made an impression on me. But if I’m ever stranded far from home with something broken or bleeding, I’ll hope for someone like you or your caring colleagues to be the ones to fetch me back. B

Traveling is exciting and fun. Picking up patients and transporting them, not so much at times. I loved reading about the adventures of doctors and nurses doing this difficult job. Seeing new places and meeting new people is wonderful until something goes bad to your perfectly stable patient. Just like in the hospital but without the equipment and you're 35,000 feet in the air. Also, being in another country where you don't speak the language, trying to get an accurate report. Great book with a different perspective on medicine. I recommend it to all the nurses and doctors out there and to anyone interested in a different type of practice. I received this book from Net Galley and Thistle Publishing for a honest review and no compensation otherwise. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked this book about a doctor who travels all over the world to assist injured and ill patients return home to the UK.
As I was on a cruise while reading it, I could picture clearly how I'd get home if I had need of this kind of service. I'd certainly ask for Dr. Ben if given the chance. I liked his medical skills as well as his personality.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is a very entertaining and intriguing book about a highly skilled young doctor travelling to overseas destinations to accompany sick and injured patients back to the UK.

The book covers a number of short stories about the various medical adventures that the doctor (Ben MacFarlane) has experienced, mainly on scheduled passenger flights. The attention to detail was quite gruesome at times, but added immensely to the narrative.

I was impressed with the skills and human empathy that MacFarlane showed to his temporary patients. Also with his inventive procedural skills in utilising whatever items were on hand to save his patients. Not easy in a cramped airliner at 35,000 feet. A similarity to Apollo 13 springs to mind.

The costs and complications of being seriously ill overseas and not having the assistance of a accompanying doctor to travel home with, are too frightening to contemplate. From a personal perspective, I have now made a solemn mental note to make sure that I am always covered by a medical insurance whenever I travel overseas!

I can thoroughly recommend this read.

What a delightful insight in the lives of Ben MacFarlane and his colleagues. After having to organize a trip home for someone who went on a skiing holiday to Austria - and guess what happened - and had to return with two broken arms, I decided never ever to go on a trip without a good insurance. And glad I did, although I certainly hope never to need the help of Ben or one of his colleagues. I think they do a fantastic job and the book is very honest, in that we not only read about the excellent medical care Ben delivers, but also about the fears, the tiredness, the loneliness even that comes with this job.
But please, next time, choose another illustrator for a book like this? The cover is really not suitable for the book.
Thank you Neil Simpson for putting Ben's 'adventures' to paper so nicely.
Thank you Thistle Publishing and NetGalley for this review copy.

Holiday SOS: The Life-Saving Adventures of a Travelling Doctor

I really found this book an exciting and quick paced read as I followed British doctor Ben MacFarlane on his fascinating work doing repatriations as he travels to bring different patients back home after they have had accidents or fallen ill while on vacation. I’d never heard of a job like this and loved reading about it. The cases were interesting to read about and well detailed. He shared how he flew to the patient, checked them out with their current physician, nurse, etc. and examines them himself, then gets them ready to fly back to the UK to another hospital. There they will be looked after until they are well enough to be discharged to their home. Many of the locations were fun and exotic to travel destinations, making this job a real perk in lots of ways, along with all of the flyer miles, for those who love travel and meeting new people. But it did have a crushing effect on his original relationship, as his girlfriend complained that he was gone all of the time.

Dr. Ben did share his more heart-pounding cases for the book, where things got scary on the return trip and he had to show his expertise enroute. But he’s a veritable Macgyver of the skies, it turns out. This book is a no-brainer for anyone who thinks they’d be interested in checking it out. Go ahead and give it a try. I suspect you may like it. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, author Ben MacFarlane, and the publisher for my fair review.

Thistle Publishing - 230 pages
Pub: Nov 8th, 2018

3.5 of 5 stars

I saw this in my newsfeed when a friend reviewed it, and given that I work in Travel Medicine, was keen to read it myself, so was very happy to find it on NG as Read Now. I think it should be required reading for any health professional who sees patients pre-travel, and will be recommending it to all my colleagues. We spend a lot of time talking about the prevention of scary-sounding infectious diseases like yellow fever and typhoid, but the reality is that far more travellers are killed or hospitalised overseas for injuries, often sustained doing things they wouldn’t dream of back home. Unfortunately there’s no vaccine against stupidity. This book is a sobering reminder of some of the worst things that can happen to a holiday-maker, written by the white night who comes to save them.

Ben McFarlane works as a repatriation doctor, which involves travelling anywhere in the world to retrieve sick or injured patients, assess their fitness to travel, and escort them home. Things don’t always go according to plan. Written in 2009, based on events from the early 2000s, this is being republished now. The cover makes it look light-hearted and fun, but the book is full of gory medical details and is probably not for the squeamish. I couldn’t believe that one doctor could experience so many near-disasters, but the afterword explains that while they are all true stories, names and details have been changed to protect the sometimes-innocent, and that this is a fictionalised amalgamation of the most interesting and outrageous cases. I suspect a completely true to life account would not make nearly such an entertaining read.

Ben comes across as an irreverent and laidback medic, but who shows both balls of steel, amazing ingenuity and resourcefulness, and the patience of a saint with people who really shouldn’t be allowed a passport. I veered from feeling like this was a job I could enjoy, to feeling exhausted just reading about the constant travel, overnights, stressful situations, fast turnarounds and inability to plan much of a social life. This is a young and preferably single persons’ job, but the experiences he has would certainly be amazing.
You don’t need to know anything about medicine to enjoy this, but reading this will ensure you take out comprehensive insurance for all future overseas trips (and thank the stars for the NHS if you’re British).

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ben MacFarlane gives us a fascinating insight into his time as a flying doctor, repatriating British patients back to the UK, after various medical mishaps in locations all around the world!

His cases vary from the excruciatingly embarrassing (but amusing) incidents, to the really sad ones including a patient who, within days of arriving at his holiday destination is taken ill and receives the worst possible diagnosis, but despite that, the patient is determined to embrace life to the full and informs Dr MacFarlane that he will make a return visit the following year. Sadly I doubt that he did.

What a delightful memoir this was. There’s plenty of laughter, along with the tears, and although some of the medical procedures and illnesses which involve bodily fluids might well leave some of you feeling a little queasy, it was still a great read, and I’m left with a sense of what a fantastic job these people do, often in very difficult circumstances without the backup and support that they would get in a hospital situation. It’s not just medical competence that’s required either but someone who’s able to create a sea of calm for a patient who’s scared and a long way from home. This was a light hearted and refreshing read and I would definitely recommend it.

Dr. Ben MacFarlane's book as a traveling doctor is a fabulous read! As a Dr. who travels to hot vacation spots to help patients who have been hurt/become sick on vacation Ben is super busy. Throughout the book I learned a lot about specific medical conditions, culture and history of the places Ben was sent to, and had a lot of laughs.
At times poignant and hysterically funny as Ben describes his travels and his work helping patients throughout the world! I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in medicine or travel and wants a heart warming and amusing read.

Doctorr on holiday call always ready to fly off to any vacation emergency.Told in diary form full of heartwarming moments funny moments& serious one als,also..Told in diary form I really enjoyed this charming book& Howe much the doctor enjoys his job. #netgalley #Holidaysos #Thistlepublishibg

Ben MacFarlane is a doctor who works in "repatriation." That is, when people from England go on holiday and find themselves in a medical predicament, Ben fetches them from the country they travelled to. This is paid for by insurance companies. These unfortunate patients planned on a nice vacation, but instead are in hospital in various states of medical calamity. Ben gets his mission of where he has to travel, reviews the case file of the patient, packs the appropriate medical bag and sets off to accompany his charge on their return to England.

The stories in this book are all real cases Dr. MacFarlane experienced while performing as a repatriation doctor. When Dr. MacFarlane meets the patient at their hospital in another country, he speaks to the doctors, reviews their medical files and examines the patient himself. He must decide if the patient is capable of travelling home. In most of these stories, the patients were deemed worthy of travel, but a medical crisis ensued during the flight/transport home. It was quite interesting and sometimes riveting reading of Dr. MacFarlane's quick action; determining what would help these patients and his execution of life-saving medical treatment. It is actually awe-inspiring to think of so much responsibility in a person's hands. Whilst performing in such a critical and responsible role, he still finds pleasure in experiencing as much of the various locales he travels to while off-duty. In fact, he butters up one of the workers at the office with fine chocolate when she throws a really nice hotel accommodation his way.

I consider the book cover to be ill-designed. It looks rather comical like the book is not an authentic recounting of a real doctor's experiences. It reminds me of a comic book cover. Maybe it was chosen to lighten the aura of the seriousness of the stories, but I think they should consider a cover change. I didn't realize until the end chapter that this was a real doctor's experiences, culled from Dr. Ben MacFarlane's diaries.

There were quite a lot of stories in this book and I grew rather tired of having to hit the reset button to learn of yet another patient and their trials and tribulations. There was also a backstory of a budding relationship between a stewardess and Dr. Ben, and also the camaraderie between the office personnel. Maybe if there was a bit more personal backstory to Dr. MacFarlane I'd have made a better connection to the book. It wasn't exactly boring, but it didn't totally grab me either.

This is not my normal style for reading, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. It was an account of a doctor employed in a medical rescue company catering to repatriating travelers for insurance companies. Sounds pretty dull, huh? Well, I would normally have thought so, too, but it was anything but dull! Each chapter had our protagonist traveling to a different locale to bring home a traveler who had had some sort of medical emergency or mishap and was unable to travel on his own.

In addition to the vignettes of the victims (and their returns home), there were a couple of auxiliary stories throughout the book that tied everything nicely together, making a good flow for the disparate experiences.

I highly recommend this memoir as it was well written, entertaining and enlightening. It was just plain enjoyable. I hope the author will write more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Thistle Publishing, for an ARC of this book. This review will be published immediately on Good Reads and with Amazon when the hard copy is released.

I'd never read this type of book before, so was unsure what to expect. Happily, I was pleasantly surprised! I had no idea how much detail goes into medical repatriation, nor the planning and expertise behind it. The narrative was easy to read, and the short chapters/stories meant I could read it it quick 5 minute bursts, when I had a spare few minutes. This left me on the edge of my seat and reminded me never to take anything from granted. A fascinating read-thoroughly enjoyed!

A few years ago, I was with a tour group overseas and a lovely older woman tripped over a pile of suitcases. Our group was ready to embark on a 16-day cruise, so she hobbled along with us. But, she soon realized she had indeed injured herself and so she sought medical attention on the cruise ship. At our first port-of-call, she was transferred to a hospital in Stockholm. We learned that she spent a few days there, and then a nurse flew in to escort her back to America. I always wondered how she fared.

Well, after reading Dr. MacFarlane’s engrossing story, I feel much better. If she received the same level of care and compassion that Dr. MacFarlane dispensed, I know that her story ended as happily as most of this author-doctor’s patients.

This book would make a great TV show. The story spans about a year in the life of this busy travelling doctor. He amasses millions of frequent traveler miles as he flies several times a week to bring patient back to their homes in England. From Tunis, to Cairo, the Canary Islands, St. Tropez, Barcelona, the Maldives, even Bulgaria our doctor-hero manages to enjoy flitting glimpses of these exotic holiday locales. We learn that he is doing this for more than just the travel miles and the sight-seeing. He truly cares about the people he escorts back home.

Drama and plenty of medical emergencies make for an engaging read. This book also has plenty of heart. Some of the stories have their funny moments and some are tender and sad. My favorite one is about a lovely elderly patient named Mrs. Dean. Heartbreaking.

The author concludes that he works with the best people in the world and he meets the most amazing people every day. He certainly communicates his passion for his work in this easy to read and entertaining book. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for an ARC. This is my honest review.