Isobel Weinberg: The Foundation Programme Office giveth and it taketh away

On Monday, a friend posted a picture of an enormous, triple layered chocolate cake on Facebook. It was, she wrote, a present for her boyfriend—a final year medical student—to celebrate his being awarded his top choice of location for his first job next year. Getting the first choice has meaning beyond simple preference: it enables […]

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Richard Lehman’s journal review—4 March 2013

JAMA  27 Feb 2013  Vol 781 781    Heart failure divides into two broad classes: the first is caused by damage to the myocardium and is associated with reduction in the left ventricular ejection fraction, and we know pretty well how to treat it; the second is associated with stiffening of the ventricles and the main […]

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Domhnall MacAuley: A Harley Street at every crossroads

Harley Street. Even the name creates a picture. Executive medicine for the elite, cosmetic surgery for the glitterati, healthcare excellence and no expense spared. It’s more than just a street—it’s a brand with international recognition that would be the envy of any marketing campaign. A worldwide reputation that attracts patients from across the globe. As […]

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Kailash Chand on Section 75 and competition for NHS services

NHS competition is back in the headlines, apparently the subject of more tension within the coalition: “Lib Dem pressure forces Hunt to rewrite NHS regulations,” and “New rules on competition to be scrapped.” The background to this is interesting. The Section 75 regulations published earlier this month—which are ostensibly intended to “ensure good procurement practice”—follow […]

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Anna Allan: Training? What training?

The junior doctor’s applications process has metamorphosed from an individual interview process, to modernising medical careers (MMC), to the foundation programme application system. There has been a big push towards centralising services for the majority of NHS training applications. This year has also seen a change with regards to the application itself. A two hour […]

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Readers’ editor blog: A BMJ poll about Sir David Nicholson

Sir David Nicholson, head of the NHS in England and chief executive of the NHS Commissioning Board, has faced repeated calls for his resignation after publication of the Francis Report inquiry into failing at Mid Staffordshire Foundation NHS Trust. Nicholson was chief executive of the strategic health authority overseeing the trust for a period when […]

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