Wednesday December 10. 8.30am: I’m on the bus into work and checking Twitter when I see an exchange between @garyschwitzer and @bengoldacre about some embargoed papers we press released last night, (including Ben’s editorial and a linked research paper about the association between exaggeration in health related science news and academic press releases), not showing on […]
Christmas Appeal 2014: An intensive care unit in a conflict zone
Two people with gunshot wounds are brought to the MSF hospital in Leer. They were at a celebration the previous evening when someone entered and started shooting. Five people were seriously injured. Two of them managed to reach our hospital, but the other three died on the way. […]
The BMJ Today: Christmas has hit the fan
We’re getting festive in BMJ Towers, mince pies, tinsel, and dubious jumper choices abound. So settle back and let the Christmas issue relax you like a postprandial sherry. What makes a good playlist? This is a much more complicated question than I had first suspected, and some strong opinions were expressed by colleagues. (Most militantly […]
The BMJ Today: Is the private sector closing in on the NHS?
Yesterday, an investigation from The BMJ was making headlines everywhere from the BBC and the Financial Times, to Rochdale Online. This investigation, the latest by The BMJ‘s news reporter Gareth Iacobucci, found that since the Health and Social Care Act came into force in April 2013, a third of NHS contracts have gone to private sector providers. […]
Helen Zorbas: 2014 World Cancer Congress
Last week in Melbourne, I had the privilege of joining influential leaders from the international cancer community as over 2800 delegates from 112 different countries came together for the World Cancer Congress, held for the first time in Australia. The congress highlighted the substantial impact cancer has on nations across the world, and confirmed Australia’s position […]
Samir Dawlatly: The ills of general practice
“Have a seat; sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Dr Dawlatly. What brings you here today Mrs, err, Practice?” “General,” she replied grumpily. “I’m sorry, what?” “General. That’s my title. I’ve risen through the ranks to General, so I would be grateful if you would address me properly, doctor,” she answered curtly. […]
Soumyadeep Bhaumik: Snakebite research in India—no longer so neglected
In 2009 snakebite was added to the list of neglected diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO)—the first official recognition of it as a health problem. But the true burden of the disease, particularly in India, came to light only in 2011 when the Million Death Study reported that there were about 46 000 deaths each […]
The BMJ Today: Could you have been trained in 48 hours?
The latest in our series of Head to Head articles was posted yesterday, and has already garnered a response—let us know if you agree with the arguments. Andrew Hartle and Sarah Gibb, both from the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, think that 48 hours a week is enough time to train doctors. […]
Bev Fitzsimons: Supporting community providers to improve quality
If you look at how the NHS is represented in the media, healthcare dramas tend to equal hospital dramas: Casualty, Holby City, even the marvellous Getting on. Community services often feature as slightly misty eyed nostalgia of district nurses and midwives on bicycles—a bit of a blast from the past. Hospitals can sometimes be busy, […]
Thomas Nierle and Bruno Jochum: MSF should not replace governmental responsibilities on Ebola
MEP Charles Goerens, rapporteur on Ebola to the European Parliament’s Committee on Development, recently declared in a European Council meeting that this epidemic is “the first major international crisis in which the lead should be given to an NGO [non-governmental organisation]—in this case, Médecins Sans Frontières.” Given that we have repeatedly called for greater leadership […]