• Finally, the NHS goes digital. Or does it?
There have been many predictions of the death of paper in the NHS, but are they exaggerated? The NHS is in fact 20 years behind the private sector in its use of technology, and a long way behind many of its doctors and patients. And although there are now plans for a dramatic catch up, Stephen Armstrong wonders if it will work. He reports on the pace of change, optimistic positioning statements from NHS England, and the concerns of patient groups.
• Pressure mounts on drug supplies in Greece
Hitting digitalisation targets is probably not a high priority in Greece right now. Julianna Photopoulos reports on how some pharmacies in Greece are being asked to pay suppliers in cash and are facing restrictions on the orders they can place, according to members of the industry. There have also been reports that some patients are unable to meet their share of the cost of drugs and that some people are stockpiling drugs. The Greek government, however, has said there are no signs that the flow of drugs has been affected by the financial crisis.
• American Psychology Association colluded with Pentagon and CIA to protect interrogation program, report finds
Michael McCarthy reports on claims that officials of the American Psychological Association colluded with the US Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and other officials of George W Bush’s administration to permit psychologists to participate in “enhanced interrogations” that used techniques such as waterboarding, widely considered to be torture. The claims, made in a 542 page report, echo those made in a BMJ analysis paper back in 2009, which looked at the different stances of doctors and psychologists in treating prisoners held in prisons such as Guantanamo Bay.
Trevor Jackson, deputy editor and head of news and views, The BMJ.