Medicine And Science From The BMJ podcast

30:48

The UK government is debating legislation to allow assisted dying in England and Wales, which puts doctors at the forefront of deciding if their patient will be eligible for a medically assisted death - the key criteria being a 6 month prognosis. But is making a 6 month prognosis actually clinically reliable? To discuss we're joined by a panel of experts on end of life; Scott Murray, emeritus professor of primary palliative care at the University of Edinburgh Simon Etkind, assistant professor of palliative care at the University of Cambridge Nancy Preston, professor of supportive and palliative care, Lancaster University Suzanne Ost, professor of law, Lancaster University Reading list Assisted dying and the difficulties of predicting end of life Breaching the stalemate on assisted dying: it’s time to move beyond a medicalised approach Also in this episode, we dim the lights and raise the curtains - there is a public fascination with doctors who kill and the stage show turned podcast, ‘An Appointment with Murder’, takes a deep dive into the crimes of GPs John Bodkin-Adams and Harold Shipman. Kamran is joined by Harry Brunjes and Andrew Johns to talk medical murder. An Appointment With Murder on Apple Podcasts…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Trump is trying to destroy universities - Ashish Jha, Dean of Public Health at Brown University 50:19

19 days ago50:19

50:19

Kamran Abbasi interviews Professor Ashish Jha, Dean of Public Health at Brown University and former COVID-19 pandemic advisor to President Biden. Watch this interview on our YouTube. Trump’s second term has touched everything in the US political sphere - and health is no exception. With research funding for medicine and science weathering under Trump’s storm of cuts, how can Americans who care about public health and data navigate a course through the swells? Professor Jha discusses how to resist an anti-vaccine resurgence, and comments on revisionist narratives that drive ill-conceived public health policies. 02:20 The MAHA movement and RFK Jnr. 07:40 Does evidence still matter? 13:35 Trump administration is helping China 15:10 Policymaking in Trump’s shadow 23:35 Where do universities go from here? 28:48 Censorship, research funding and academic freedom 33:35 Health inequalities within America 36:20 A resurgent anti-vax message 41:24 What Ashish’s got wrong about the pandemic response 45:31 When is enough for research data? 47:14 Future hope and how to pushback in smart ways Reading list: Professor Jha’s December 2024 editorial on the Trump admin’s plans for American healthcare coverage…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Reducing benefits will not get disabled people back to work, and explaining overdiagnosis 32:35

21 days ago32:35

32:35

The UK’s chancellor has announced a £5bn cut to benefits, much of which will be borne by those on long-term disability allowance. Gerry McCartney, professor of wellbeing economy at Glasgow University explains about why these cuts will not only hurt the most vulnerable, but will be counterproductive to the government's wish to get people back to work. Also, Suzanne O'Sullivan, consultant neurologist and author, joins us to talk about her new book "Age of Diagnosis". The book used clinical cases to explore the issues of medicalisation, and Suzanne explains why overdiagnosis doesn't mean that care isn't needed. Reading list; UK welfare reforms threaten health of the most vulnerable Guardian edited extract from "The Age of Diagnosis: Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far"…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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What does the death of NHS England, and the western alliance, mean for health? 37:48

5 weeks ago37:48

37:48

In the UK, the prime minister has announced the disbanding of NHS England, Nigel Crisp - former chief executive of the NHS, explains why he thinks that it’s important the health service is closer to the political decision makers, and why this could be the time to really acknowledge the healthcare emergency. On the international stage, the Trump administration's withdrawal from the WHO is throwing global health into disarray - Illona Kickbusch, founder of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, joins us to explain which new alliances are emerging, why the funding that has disappeared may never be replaced, and how tech will surpass pharma when it comes to industry influence. Finally, there is a triple burden of malnutrition for adolescent girls in south Asia - which creates a cycle of ill health that is hard to break. However, Zulfiqar Bhutta, chair in global child health at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, thinks the region can come together to change both government and society to champion young women’s health. Reading list: Abolishing NHS England: risks and opportunities https://www.bmj.com/nhs-commission https://www.bmj.com/collections/nourishing-south-asia…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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The data on physician associates in the UK, and speaking up in the NHS 47:02

7 weeks ago47:02

47:02

We've just published a new rapid review on the safety and efficacy of physician and anaesthetic associates in the UK, which was commissioned to support the ongoing Leng review of these new roles in the NHS. Trish Greenhalgh, professor of primary care at the University of Oxford, joins us to discuss the data she found. Habib Naqvi is director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and is holding up a mirror to the NHS on it's support for ethnic minority patients and doctors - he joins us to talk about the work they've done, and why Reform UK's manifesto pledge to disband the Observatory is a matter of pride. Finally, our annual trip to the Nuffield Summit is not complete without a roundtable, this year we asked the question "What is stopping staff from speaking up?". Our panellists raised the usual issues of hierarchy and psychological safety, but also how the lack of positive change from senior leadership has habituated people into thinking "why bother". Our panel; Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the General Practice Committee of the BMA Jugdeep Dhesi, consultant in geriatric medicine at Guys and St Thomas Hopsital Henrietta Hughes, the UK's patient safety commissioner Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust Reading list Physician associates and anaesthetic associates in UK: rapid systematic review of recent UK based research Together we can challenge the racism that persists in healthcare…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Phil Banfield on the British Medical Association's plan to support doctors 29:23

8 weeks ago29:23

29:23

From pay restoration, to making sure there are enough training posts for resident doctors, the BMA has been busy. In this podcast, Kamran Abbasi, the editor in chief of The BMJ, spoke to Phil Banfield, chair of the BMA’s council. They talk about the ongoing pay discussions, how the BMA is working with the new government - touching on both speciality training places, and the role of physician assistants. The conversation also covers the BMA's changing strategy, which aims to empower local members to take on the fights they care about, and how the organisation is linking both their trade union and professional activities.…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Combating disinformation, and time to stop spinal injections for chronic pain 31:10

9 weeks ago31:10

31:10

In this episode of the BMJ's Medicine and Science podcast, editor-in-chief Kamran Abbasi discusses the urgent need to tackle disinformation in health, especially in the context of the US, with Heidi Larson and Martin McKee from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. We also hear from Jane Ballentyne, professor of anaesthesia and pain medicine at the University of Washington, about new guidelines that strongly recommend against the use of spinal injections for chronic pain - and why that recommendation might be hard for some patients and doctors to hear. Finally, we revisit the progress made in addressing racism in UK medical schools over the past five years with Gareth Iacobucci, The BMJ's assistant news editor. Running order 01:44 Defining Misinformation and Disinformation 04:08 Vaccines and Misinformation 05:38 Strategies to Combat Disinformation 10:04 Denialism and Its Implications 16:21 BMJ Rapid Recommendations on Spinal Injections 26:27 Racism in Medical Schools: An Update Reading list Spinal interventions for chronic back pain Racism in medical schools: are things improving?…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Why compassion isn't just nice, it's essential 24:20

10 weeks ago24:20

24:20

Providing quality healthcare is demanding, often stressful, and requires sustained effort. When resources are stretched and pressure mounts, compassion can slip - but compassion is an essential tool for leaders, who need to support their teams to continue delivering the best possible care. In this final episode of The BMJ’s podcast series on quality of care, Rachael Hinton, BMJ Editor, speaks to three healthcare leaders. They discuss how fostering kind and compassionate leadership and care can improve morale, combat burnout, and contribute to better patient outcomes. 01:48 Lydia Okutoyi talks compassionate leadership in Kenya 08:39 Pedro Delgado talks refocusing on the human factor and tools for kind leadership 15:02 Alexander Ansah Manu talks reaping quality of care benefits in Ghana This podcast was produced as part of the BMJ Collection on Quality of Care, developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation and the World Bank. Visit bmj.com/qualityofcare to view the full Collection. The BMJ commissioned, edited, and published this podcast. This episode edited by Brian Kennedy.…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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The industry playbook to combat public health, and FUTURE-AI 34:03

11 weeks ago34:03

34:03

This week Rebecca Coombes is back with another big-food investigation, this time about fast-food giant MacDonalds subverting attempts to stop it opening stores near schools. Sticking with industry behaving badly, May van Schalkwyk, from the University of Edinburgh, wonders why we haven't learn lessons from the attempts to control big tobacco companies, when it comes to other industries that harm health. And finally, AI in healthcare - Karim Lekadir, from the University of Barcelona, explains new guidelines which can help evaluate which AI applications are trustworthy. Reading list McDonald’s triumphs over councils’ rejections of new branches FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Prehabilitation before surgery, alcohol's impact on clinical care, and life after a cardiac arrest 40:40

13 weeks ago40:40

40:40

Exercise and a better diet, prior to surgery, can improve outcomes. Daniel McIsaac, a professor of anaesthesiology from the University of Ottowa and lead author of that research, joins us to talk about getting those results into practice. Julia Sinclair, professor of addiction psychiatry at the University of Southampton, explains how the NHS has lost sight of the impact alcohol consumption has on clinical care, and why we need a strategy to tackle it. Finally, Matt Morgan, consultant in intensive care and BMJ columnist, has written another book - this time about patients who are revived after cardiac arrest, and the profound effect it can have on their outlook in life. Reading list: Relative efficacy of prehabilitation interventions and their components UK needs national strategy to tackle alcohol related harms A Second Act…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Can a deal be done to keep the US in the WHO? 29:31

14 weeks ago29:31

29:31

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the US out of the WHO. This would cut funding for the UN’s medical agency by one-fifth. Will they really exit, or can a deal be made? Lawrence Gostin hopes so, and as a professor of law at Georgetown, and director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, he is working with senior US and WHO officials to try and understand what reforms could be made to WHO what would allow a such a deal to be be struck. Gostin also believes that the president cannot withdraw from the WHO with an executive order, but instead requires congressional approval - and is exploring the options for legal challenge to the move. 00:00 Intro 01:01 US history with the WHO 03:31 Executive order 06:35 WHO’s relationship with China 11:14 Funding 12:47 Benefits to US from the WHO 18:05 H5N1 threat 19:43 World benefits from US involvement 21:57 A deal to be made? 24:55 Legal action? 26:37 Administration responses Read Professor Larry Gostin’s co-written opinion piece on the dangers of a US withdrawal from the WHO here: https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r116…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Conviviality and TV doctors, polar bear tales, and Christmas research 41:06

17 weeks ago41:06

41:06

In the last podcast of 2024, Richard Smith, former editor of The BMJ and head of UKHACC will be making the case for being more convivial. Tina Korownyk, professor of family medicine at the University of Alberta is the ghost of Christmas past for TV doctors. Tim Feeny and Navjoyt Ladher take us through this year's Christmas research papers. And finally, Mari Martensen, a paramedic, explains what makes being a medic in Svalbard bear-able. Reading list. The dangers of industrialisation—why we need to rebuild a convivial society Televised medical talk shows—what they recommend and the evidence to support their recommendations Christmas 2024: How to transport a polar bear, and other idiosyncrasies for Arctic emergency medical services The full Christmas archive…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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Big food infiltration of UK Schools, and chocolate consumption and diabetes 32:56

19 weeks ago32:56

32:56

Conflicts of interest harm health, and a new investigation uncovers the infiltration of big food manufacturers into UK schools. Emma Wilkinson reports on that investigation. Kamran and Rebecca Coombes, head of journalism, discuss moves to reduce industry's impact on food policy in the UK. A new research paper has identified a link between eating chocolate and lower rates of diabetes. Binkai Liu, doctoral student and Qi Sun, associate professor, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explain what they found. Finally, Sam Hutt is a doctor in the NHS, but is better known by his stage persona “Hank Wangford”. Hank performed a celebration of the NHS at Glastonbury this year, and has now released that song. He joins us to talk about what inspired him. Reading list Food industry has infiltrated UK children’s education: stealth marketing exposed Chocolate intake and risk of type 2 diabetes Hank Wangford…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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"Incredibly distressing and incredibly dangerous"- David Miliband on healthcare attacks, and staff turnover effect on patient outcomes 33:19

21 weeks ago33:19

33:19

In today’s episode, new research, which has looked at the impact staff turnover is having on patient outcomes. Giuseppe Moscelli, associate professor at the University of Surrey joins Navjoyt Ladher to explain more. Also, every year the BMJ has a Christmas appeal - and this year we have chosen the International Rescue Committee as our partner. To talk more about what they do, and to give us some insight into how geopolitics are affecting health we're joined David Milliband, president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, and former UK foreign secretary. Reading list; Nurse and doctor turnover and patient outcomes in NHS acute trusts in England The BMJ Appeal 2024-25: David Miliband on hospital attacks, Trump, and the International Rescue Committee in a “flammable world”…

Medicine and Science from The BMJ

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How MSF maintains neutrality in conflict zones 32:14

23 weeks ago32:14