In my written statement and oral evidence, I discussed the weakening of public health infrastructure and the lack of integrated data systems. I also advocated for a robust, preventive healthcare model that prioritises community-based care and targeted interventions to protect vulnerable populations.
I was asked to appear at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry in February to be questioned on how the pandemic affected people who were clinically vulnerable and the importance of good IT systems to identify people in this group. My witness statement is now online. covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/in...
The new funding in the NHS GP contract must be the start of a long term programme of investment, not a one-off adjustment. Reversing more than a decade of underinvestment in general practice will require consistent real-terms year-on-year growth in funding. www.bmj.com/content/392/... @bmj.com
I don't think he is on X or Bluesky.
Itβs good to see the government aiming to increase the emphasis on childhood vaccination in the NHS GP contract in England. But as well as these βshort-term fixesβ, we also need long-term changes that reduce the pressures on primary care so GPs can spend more time on prevention.
Thank you Trisha (although I was not an author of this paper).
How should services for high-intensity users be organised? A scoping review of published literature with recommendations for future research and delivery of care. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The RashΕmon Effect and COVID-19 vaccine decision-making. Our new paper highlights the need for more flexible and innovative strategies to navigate the complex factors influencing decision-making around vaccination. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Donβt rely on rash colour alone. Look for other signs such as a high fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and small white spots in the mouth (Koplik spots). Recognising measles in all skin tones is essential for early diagnosis and treatment and for preventing its spread.
Doctors and parents should be aware that the medical textbook description of a "bright red measles rash" is based on white skin. On brown or black skin, the measles rash can be much harder to see. It may appear as darker, dusky or purple patches rather than bright red spots.
In the face of rising cases, prioritising immunisation is essential to prevent avoidable complications such as pneumonia, meningitis and hospitalisation; and to ensure that measles remains a disease of the past rather than a threat to our children's future health.
Ensuring children receive both doses of the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to halt the spread of measles in communities. As well as protecting individuals, high vaccination rates create "herd immunity," protecting those who are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
The current measles outbreak in London shows us that vaccination is not just a personal choice but essential to protect the community. A highly infectious disease like measles can spread rapidly in areas with low vaccine uptake; putting children at risk. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Student loans in England have become a significant long-term financial and psychological factor for graduates. The impact ranges from daily budgeting struggles to delayed life milestones like being able to afford to buy a home. The student loan system is now effectively a graduate tax.
Many clinical guidelines are based on research in younger, healthier patients; making it difficult to apply them in people with frailty and polypharmacy. We need to move away from single-disease trials toward studies that include complex, older populations with multimorbidity.
Some people assume (wrongly) because they can't get an appointment with a GP, it means "GPs aren't working". The reality is that general practices are offering a record number of appointments. A further increase in appointments to adequately meet health needs requires more GPs.
The UK-US pharmaceutical deal is a major shift in the UKβs approach to evaluating, pricing and adopting new drugs. But the overall effect of the proposals in the deal on the NHS will depend heavily on how they are implemented. My comment in @bmj.com bmj.com/cgi/content/...
It doesnβt say much about the quality and rigour of the governmentβs vetting processes if people can be appointed as members of the House of Lords or to senior roles such as ambassador whilst having serious questions to answer about their past.
It's essential for the NHS to offer a range of consultation options. A balanced mix of face-to-face, telephone, video and digital consultations is essential for a modern, equitable NHS. Every consultation mode has distinct advantages but each may not be suitable for all patients.
No mention of @azeem-majeed.bsky.social ?
Artificial intelligence and the future of evidence-based medicine.
Comment from Gary Collins and colleagues, University of Birmingham
#AI #EBM #medicine
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
I teach my students that when presenting data using a graph, starting the y-axis at zero is essential for visual integrity. This ensures that the physical proportions of the graph accurately represent the data and that small changes in variables are not visually exaggerated.
Blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimerβs disease could lead to earlier and more accessible detection. But they also have important unintended consequences including risks of false positives and overdiagnosis, psychological distress, and potential discrimination in insurance.
I was asked by Which Magazine to comment on why people in the UK should not buy prescription-only medicines like drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction or high-dose Vitamin D injections from unregulated online stores based overseas. www.which.co.uk/news/article...
No doctor wants to delay the diagnosis of a serious illness such as cancer. Good clinicians recognise the importance of monitoring how symptoms evolve over time; and reassessing a diagnosis if a patientβs treatment plan or clinical trajectory are not progressing as expected.
Want to get involved in research as a doctor? Read our careers clinic Q&A and find out where to start π
@bmj.com @azeem-majeed.bsky.social @acmedsci.bsky.social
www.bmj.com/content/392/...
In the NHS, βtask forcesβ and βinquiriesβ are often presented as evidence that action is being taken. In reality, the underlying problems are usually well understood. What is lacking is not more analysis but leaders with the authority and willingness to implement solutions.
The use of Right to Choose providers for the assessment of people with possible ADHD was an understandable response by patients to their unmet needs but the variable quality of services offered by some providers has placed the NHS in a difficult position. www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinica...
While βhiving offβ services from general practices can seem attractive to NHS managers and politicians, in the longer term it leads to problems such as fragmentation of care, loss of continuity, health inequity and loss of holistic generalist input and is rarely cost-effective.
For patients, the lower costs of surgical procedures carried out overseas can make them look like an attractive alternative to private surgery in the UK. But when post-operative complications occur, they can be complex and difficult to manage. www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinica...
