Financial austerity in Europe has been a hot topic in the news lately. But the spotlight in Europe over the past few weeks has definitely been on a small and overlooked European country that is considered peripheral. Portugal, buried in debt, has just followed in the steps of Greece and Ireland by becoming the next country to […]
Richard Smith: Review of “bring back browsing”
Although I bemoan prepublication peer review, I do a fair bit of reviewing. I’m never quite sure why, but it’s probably that I’m still insufficiently practised at saying no. I reviewed for the BMJ Jerry Kassirer’s article published last week in which he regrets that young doctors don’t browse more. I wasn’t greatly impressed, and […]
Tony Waterston and Jean Bowyer: Health and non-violent resistance in the West Bank
The Arab revolution was in our minds during our regular visit to the West Bank for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) child health teaching programme. Would there be an occupied square in Ramallah? Would the youth be on the streets calling for political change? Would the doctors be out bravely supporting […]
Martin McShane: Consciously unconscious
I was in a meeting last week with the seven chairs of the new consortia, two other executives from the new PCT cluster, and an external consultant who was giving an independent overview of the context and the challenges, and how they might be jointly and severally addressed. The content and debate was engaging and […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review – 11 April 2011
JAMA 6 Apr 2011 Vol 305 1305 Postmenopausal oestrogen protects against breast cancer. Now there’s a headline I never thought I would write; and yet it’s the clear conclusion of this follow-up study of the women in the Women’s Health Initiative Estrogen-Alone Trial. In this unique double-blinded RCT, over 10,000 women aged between 50 and […]
Research highlights – 8 March 2011
“Research highlights” is a weekly round-up of research papers appearing in the print BMJ. We start off with this week’s research questions, before providing more detail on some individual research papers and accompanying articles. What is the efficacy and safety of bronchodilators and steroids in acute management of bronchiolitis? How effectively does co-trimoxazole prophylaxis protect […]
Jonny Martell: The Wrong Answer
It had been an awkward pause. Professor Nick Craddock was addressing a lecture hall of students at the recent National Conference of Student Psychiatry Societies in Sheffield. Faced with numerous scenarios relating to mental health, we were to vote on whether a medical, psychological, or social approach best suited the predicament. For the scenario in […]
Domhnall MacAuley: The day the brakes went on
The consortia dream screeched to a halt. As I watched breakfast TV in the airport lounge on my way to the GP forum, the controversial health reforms were unravelling. The forum meeting was entitled “Commissioning Consortia: Examining the comprehensive business and clinical issues for a successful practice-led future” and suddenly, it seemed inappropriate. The health […]
Chris Ham: A chance to go back to basics on health and social care reform in England?
The government’s decision to consult with stakeholders during this pause in the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through parliament creates an opportunity to revisit the problems the bill is intended to address. […]
Fiona Pathiraja: Investing in future clinical leaders
For a medic still just under thirty, I have deviated from the traditional medical career path several times. Working as a healthcare management consultant, setting up a start up enterprise and being on secondment to the Department of Health have broadened my understanding of the healthcare landscape. The controversy over the planned NHS reforms has […]