Study concludes minimum alcohol pricing has saved lives in Scotland According to the BMJ recently, the final verdict on Scotland’s five year experiment in introducing a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol has concluded that the initiative is cutting overall consumption and helping to save lives. Public Health Scotland (PHS) has analysed the results of […]
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Life expectancy in the UK falling compared to other developed countries in 2023 According to the Kings Fund recently, life expectancy has been a concern in the UK even before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in life expectancy slowed from 2011 in England and Wales for reasons that are unclear and contested. While […]
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Short term “quick fixes” won’t see NHS through to 100 years, think tanks warn According to the BMJ recently, The NHS may not survive another 25 years to reach its centenary unless the underlying, long term causes of its current crisis are resolved, three major think tanks have warned. ?The leaders of the Health Foundation, […]
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Doctor launches legal challenge to GMCs failure to investigate medics COVID vaccine claims A doctor has launched a judicial review against the General Medical Council (GMC) over the regulator’s refusal to investigate another doctor’s alleged misleading claims about COVID-19. According to the BMJ recently, Matt Kneale, a junior doctor, has previously complained to the GMC […]
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First UK trial of a non-hormonal drug for endometriosis starts recruiting in Autumn The UK will soon run its first controlled trial of a non-hormonal drug for endometriosis. It may lead to ‘long overdue’ innovation in relieving often debilitating pain. Doctors hope will pave the way for the first new class of drug for the […]
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Should junior doctors do 5 years of NHS service after they qualify? ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire’ – WB Yeats. Medical school is an academic greenhouse where the seeds of enthusiasm and academic scholarship in tomorrow’s doctors are planted. It should produce a plentiful harvest of […]
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What? In a medical world dominated by quick fixes and potent prescriptions, a recent study has suggested a turn of tide for a common condition – acute low back and neck pain. Opioids, one of the most frequently prescribed medicines for these conditions, have been put under the microscope, and the findings might not be […]
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What? In an unprecedented move, NHS England has unveiled a major workforce plan aimed at doubling the number of university places for medical students, creating thousands of new roles, and possibly shortening medical degrees. At present, the NHS grapples with over 110,000 vacancies, causing massive strain on existing staff and impacting patient care. Prime Minister […]
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Why are senior doctors going on strike? Senior hospital doctors – called consultants – in England have voted to strike for two days next month, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said. The BMA is the main doctors union. On 20th and 21st July 2023, the hospital consultants will walk out. There was a high […]
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Sharp rise in teenage girls with eating disorders during COVID A recently published study in the Lancet has found there has been a sharp rise in teenage girls in the UK with eating disorders, during the COVID pandemic. The analysis (done in general practice) by the Universities of Manchester, Keele and Exeter, looked at nine […]
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