Hampshire consultant’s dismissal for whistleblowing is “unacceptable,” says BMA
A senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who was dismissed after raising patient safety concerns was…
Author: British Medical Journal
Labour’s promises on health are setting the party up to fail
Keir Starmer is making big, conflicting, and unrealistic promises on health, without a clear plan…
Harassment in the NHS: could the solution be the problem?
Harassment and discrimination have been my daily work for over two decades as a partner…
“We reduced sexual safety incidents with better reporting systems and talking to patients about sex”
“When you make reporting clearer, you get an increase in reported incidents because people understand…
Battle to retain GPs: defining “generalism” is key
We previously emphasised that undergraduate training in general practice is critical for retaining general practitioners.1…
Anaphylaxis: public autoinjectors and a recognition app
A senior coroner has called for action from the government to prevent deaths from anaphylaxis.1…
US surgeon general warns about excessive social media use by young people
Children and adolescents are endangered by too much use of social media at a time…
A step-by-step approach for selecting an optimal minimal important difference
When measuring a health state experienced and best known by patients, physiological measures and clinicians’…
Cardiovascular disease risk assessment and reduction: summary of updated NICE guidance
What you need to knowManage cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using an individualised approach, with lifestyle…
Eight hospital rebuilds are likely to be delayed beyond 2030, government says
A number of major building works included in the government’s “new hospitals programme” will not…
“I thought I would be safe in hospital, but I wasn’t”
“One day at the beginning of November 2020 I had been told by my consultant…
Reporting anaphylaxis deaths to UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry (UKFAR)
The UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry (UKFAR) thanks The BMJ for highlighting the regulation 28 report…
Virtual wards: Staffing gaps threaten national plan, warn leaders
An initiative to provide care for patients in “virtual wards” such as their own homes…
How inflation threatens the NHS and what policy makers can do about it
Inflation in the UK has soared to a rate not seen in four decades. Growth…
“The trust had no sexual assault policy, and nobody answered the Speak Up phone line”
“In October 2019 I had just started a job as a junior surgeon at a…
Ann Robinson’s research reviews—25 May 2023
Waking up to diversityWe’ve woken up to the fact that research that focuses on richer…
A wiry transfer
This man in his 90s with back pain was found to have compression fractures in…
Multiple papules around the corona of the glans penis
A man in his 20s presented with a two year history of numerous painless tiny…
Bacterial indicators . . . and other stories
Rheumatoid arthritis and the gut microbiomeFusobacterium nucleatum is a common anaerobic organism implicated in periodontal…
Recommendations for the development, implementation, and reporting of control interventions in efficacy and mechanistic trials of physical, psychological, and self-management therapies: the CoPPS Statement
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that test the efficacy of a drug against a “placebo control”…
Women and non-white people among Lasker Award recipients from 1946 to 2022
In the paper by Jacobs and colleagues (BMJ 2023;381:e074968, doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074968, published 17 May 2023), “male…
GMC must pay legal costs for “unreasonably” pursuing doctors who led trust where rogue surgeon worked
The General Medical Council (GMC) has been ordered to pay the costs of the former…
“He’s left me feeling vulnerable, and I’m so angry”
“I’d been a patient at Island Surgery for 22 years, and Wayne Bronze worked there…
“A healthcare assistant abused my daughter while she was in a mental health facility”
Kate remembers the moment her daughter Emily (names changed), 21, told her that she had…
NHS to match blood genetically for people with sickle cell and thalassemia in England
The NHS in England will soon introduce a new genetic blood matching test for people…
Doctor is struck off a second time for trying to conceal past erasure
A doctor who was struck off in 2003 and then reinstated in 2018 has been…
This Me Too moment shames the NHS
This week’s joint investigation by The BMJ and Guardian reveals a culture in the NHS…
Scarlett McNally: Patient empowerment and retention of doctors is vital for the UK economy
As a medical student in the 1980s, I was told that the reason there were…
Bacterial meningitis in children
BMJ Best Practice takes healthcare professionals quickly and accurately to the latest clinical information, whenever…
Helen Salisbury: Knowing the size of the problem in general practice
No one is doubting that general practice is in trouble—but how much, and how can…
Partha Kar: We’ve let the medical workforce down. Let’s provide some basics
Huge issues are facing the UK’s medical workforce: angst among staff, battles for training opportunities,…
Optimising prescribing in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy in primary care (OPTICA): cluster randomised clinical trial
AbstractObjectiveTo study the effects of a primary care medication review intervention centred around an electronic…
Chelsea flower show: Gardens created to enhance wellbeing
bmj;381/may24_1/p1186/FAF1faGuy Bell/AlamyThe Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea flower show has long been an advocate of the…
ChatGPT: effective writing is succinct
“Brevity is the soul of wit,” says Polonius in Hamlet.1Generative artificial intelligence (AI) could disrupt…
Racial inequality should be a regulatory matter
Race equality is essential in universities and the NHS.1 Diversity and inclusion should be one…
Adverse outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection with delta and omicron variants in vaccinated versus unvaccinated US veterans: retrospective cohort study
AbstractObjectivesTo determine the association between covid-19 vaccination types and doses with adverse outcomes of severe…
NHS reviews abuse of staff and patients, as legal bill exceeds {pound}82m in five years
The NHS is conducting an urgent review into physical and sexual abuse of staff on…
Government has failed to tackle alcohol harms and must act, say MPs
The government is failing to take a “proportionate and serious approach” to tackling alcohol related…
Labour’s plans for NHS get sceptical welcome from health leaders
Health leaders have given a lukewarm welcome to the Labour Party’s newly unveiled policy plans…
Junior doctors in England to strike again in June after negotiations fail
Junior doctors in England will go out on strike for 72 hours from 14 June,…
An economics of health for all
“The economy is not delivering the security and widely shared prosperity expected by large parts…
Economic policy makers need to take health seriously
Evidence shows clearly that much of today’s NHS workload was created by yesterday’s economic policy.1Healthy…
Health for All: Transforming economies to deliver what matters
The covid-19 pandemic was an avoidable catastrophe. Moreover, it was an outcome of our collective…
Moira Woods: pioneering physician, feminist, and social campaigner
bmj;381/may23_12/p1172/FAF1faKathleen Cecilia Moira Fann was born in London, to Kathleen (née Brennan) and John Fann,…
FDA advisers back Pfizer’s maternal RSV vaccine after voicing safety concerns
Whether Pfizer’s maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate increases the risk of preterm birth…
Integrating non-communicable disease prevention and control into maternal and child health programmes
The importance of maternal and child health has long been recognised, and it was made…
Virtual appointments—embracing the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions mustn’t widen health inequalities
The NHS turns 75 this year, but with this birthday milestone comes an urgent need…
GPs must consider industrial action to achieve full pay restoration, say leaders
GPs fully support junior doctors’ strike action and must consider taking a similar approach to…
Let GPs offer services privately if not available on NHS, say LMCs
GPs should be able to offer their patients private healthcare services that are not routinely…
Where is the workforce plan?
I have tried on many occasions to ask this: where is the workforce plan?Where is…