Covid-19: Lockdowns and masks helped reduce transmission, expert group finds
Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were “unequivocally” effective when rolled out in tandem during the covid pandemic…
Author: British Medical Journal
Updating Good Medical Practice guidelines: a first step towards tackling sexism and sexual misconduct in healthcare
Sexism and sexual harassment and assault are uncomfortable to talk about in any environment. But…
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“Countless lives” at risk in Afghanistan as health services collapse, warns WHO
International donations cannot keep up with the pace of the growing health crisis in Afghanistan…
Authors’ reply to Bray
We thank Bray for emphasising the fundamental role of psychological factors in chronic pain.12 The…
Effect of home cook interventions for salt reduction in China: cluster randomised controlled trial
AbstractObjectiveTo determine the effects of salt reduction interventions designed for home cooks and family members.DesignCluster…
Polio vaccines: hope, hype, and history repeating?
In June 2023, a research article in Nature heralded new, “more stable” versions of the…
We should push for non-police alternatives to mental health crisis response
In May 2023 the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Mark Rowley, wrote a letter to health and…
Chronic pain is not merely a physical sensation
Thanks are due to Kang and colleagues for their article on chronic pain1—it’s a tricky…
Consultants in England begin two days of strikes with more dates planned
Consultants in England began a 48 hour strike on 24 August, with more action planned…
We must change course to create a world free from the threats of nuclear annihilation and armed violence
Launer describes the devastating effects of nuclear weapons and highlights the moral responsibility of medical…
Healthcare services are required by law to make adjustments for those with brain injury
Myrian describes the challenges she faces engaging in healthcare consultations after an acquired brain injury.1Her…
Websites selling AMH “fertility” tests use false or misleading claims, researchers find
Tests for the anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) are being marketed as measures of fertility using claims…
Chronic primary pain isn’t a primary diagnosis
Chronic primary pain as a primary diagnosis and as the target for (demonstrably ineffective) treatment…
Drug deaths fall in Scotland but major problems persist
The number of people dying from drug misuse in Scotland has fallen for the first…
Lessons not learned
In the wake of the conviction of Lucy Letby, a neonatal nurse who has been…
We need a universally endorsed definition of a pandemic for the Pandemic Accord to be effective
Member states of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Body (INB)1 have roughly nine months left before they…
Chronic pain management focuses on the individual, not on the pain
As a retired spinal pain physician, whose patients with low back pain had a mean…
Chronic pain: a silent killer
Kang and colleagues list important points to consider when assessing patients with chronic pain. But…
Chronic pain: a flawed and harmful dichotomisation
Kang and colleagues have concisely summarised the definitions and diagnosis of chronic pain.1 There are…
Is current UK transparency on clinical trials enough?
DeVito and Goldacre have summarised the current state of transparency of clinical trials in the…
Mpox: China’s health authorities fight surge in cases of unknown origin
Chinese health authorities are facing an escalating outbreak of mpox where most cases are of…
GMC: Doctors must act when they witness sexual harassment, says updated policy
The General Medical Council (GMC) has set out its position on sexual harassment by doctors…
Doctors in India raise concerns about new mandate to prescribe generically or risk suspension
Doctors in India have raised concerns about a new rule, which came into effect on…
Letby’s killing spree raises questions over NHS governance
Lucy Letby, an outwardly unremarkable neonatal nurse found guilty last week of killing seven babies…
Brazil rethinks organ transplantation in wake of pandemic disruption
Brazil has been held up as a global example of organ transplantation—guaranteed in full and…
New treatments for Alzheimer’s disease
Donanemab is a new monoclonal antibody treatment that binds to amyloid β to stimulate microglial…
Direct access to cancer diagnostics: the promise and perils of bypassing GPs
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, has confirmed the UK…
Former deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam joins Moderna as clinical adviser
England’s former deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam, who became a recognisable face during the…
GPs in 10 prosperous countries feel undervalued and overworked, survey finds
Primary care doctors in 10 high income nations say that they are overworked, demoralised, and…
US federal court upholds limits on abortion drug mifepristone
A US federal appeals court has ruled that the abortion drug mifepristone could remain available…
Turning down the spice: tackling the problems of synthetic cannabinoids
Synthetic cannabinoids, colloquially known as “spice,” are a class of structurally diverse novel psychoactive substances…
Primary and social care funding must increase if the NHS is to recover
The NHS needs better funding. Almost every analysis of the current crisis indicates that the…
Ask the expert: common problems in new babies in primary care
What you need to knowConstipation in newborns can be defined as distress on passage of…
Appendicectomy remains treatment of choice for patients with acute appendicitis
Acute appendicitis is a common condition that almost all doctors will encounter at some point…
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The financial crisis threatening Australian general practice
“I was frantic. I was so busy that I felt unsafe.” Imaan Joshi was a…
Diets of under 5s in the UK: any new national food strategy must consider socioeconomic factors
Mahase highlights the need for a better national food strategy for the UK.1 A recent…
GP is suspended for failing to properly treat patient through telephone consultations
A GP who avoided face-to-face appointments during the covid pandemic has been suspended from the…
The G20 must act now for the health and wellbeing of women, children, and adolescents around the world
Investing in women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health is critical to sustainable economic growth globally. Every…
Ivan Barry Pless
It is with sorrow that we note the death of Ivan Barry Pless. Barry was…
Jim Loughran: GP and founder member of the Irish family planning movement
bmj;382/aug18_4/p1912/FAF1faJames Loughran (“Jim”) was born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, to Rose (née McKenna) and…
The NHS workforce plan needs a wellbeing focus
The NHS recently published its workforce plan,1 and although it is welcome, it lacks a…
Maternity care at St George’s Hospital in London is unsafe and chaotic, says regulator
A London teaching hospital has had its maternity services rated inadequate after the Care Quality…
Electronic health records: don’t underestimate the importance of implementation and training
The introduction of electronic health records (EHRs) has been one of the most significant changes…
NHS cancer targets are slimmed down with the aim of speeding up diagnoses
The current 10 cancer targets in the NHS in England are to be slimmed down…
Where now in the danse macabre of covid-19 and misinformation?
Rumours of covid-19’s death have been greatly exaggerated. A new wave of infections reminds us…
How bibliometrics and school rankings reward unreliable science
How much is a citation worth? $3? $6? $100 000?Any of those answers is correct,…
Ann Robinson’s research reviews—17 August 2023
Careful what you wish forDo we underestimate the harm done by overdiagnosis as a result…
Venous eczema and chronic venous disease
What you need to knowComprehensive assessment of venous eczema includes asking about triggers, time course…
How do UK broadcast media deal with covid misinformation?
Covid-19 may no longer lead the UK media’s news agenda, but concern about covid misinformation…
Purple plaques on the shin
While being investigated for tonsillar malignancy, this woman in her 60s was found to have…