Medicine and Science from The BMJ

The UK Covid Inquiry released Module Three of its findings this month. It lays out in startling detail the lived experiences of NHS staff and patients who bore through the pandemic. In the report’s words: ‘healthcare systems coped with the pandemic, but only just’.
The BMJ speaks to Kevin Fong, anaesthetist lead for major incidence planning at UCL hospitals, to break down Module Three’s most important takeaways.
And, invasive surgical cosmetic procedures are on the rise in the UK, with regulation patchy at best. From botox and fillers, to tummy tucks and breast surgeries, we hear about the gaps in patient protections that leave space for harm.

Kevin Fong is a consultant anaesthetist, broadcaster, and anaesthetist lead for major incidence planning at UCL hospitals.
Danielle Griffiths is an author and lecturer at the University of Liverpool’s School of Law.
Alexandra Mullock is an author and senior lecturer in medical law at the University of Manchester.

UK Covid Inquiry Module Three Report

Regulating invasive cosmetic procedures to reduce harm | The BMJ

The Gulf states are not large producers of pharmaceuticals or healthcare products - but the oil they supply, and the transport infrastructure they have built, are key components in a worldwide logistical network that underpin all of the pharmaceutical and other medical consumables we use.

From critical NHS shortages like Bone Cement for orthopedic surgery, to persistent IV fluid supply crises plaguing Australian hospitals, we discuss how the conflict in Iran will affect fragile healthcare logistics.

Joining us today are 

Mark Dayan, Brexit programme lead at the Nuffield Trust) on NHS procurement problems 

Anny Huang, doctor and journalist in Brisbane,on the three-year  IV fluid shortages in Australia.

Prashant Yadav a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, on the potential global effects of the Iranian conflict on international supply chains.

Reading list

Global bone cement shortage: NHS could cancel or delay knee and hip operations

How Australia survived a sudden shortage of IV fluids

Where the Iran War Could Disrupt Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

The lure of health influencers and AI chat bots is strong. More and more people are placing trust in them to answer their health problems, misplaced trust - as we know these AIs can misinform.

At the same time, people are struggling to access the NHS, and when they do doctors have little time or the right tools to unpick complicated science, and challenge misunderstandings.

So in this roundtable, we’re asking, are we in danger of the NHS making the problem of misinformation worse, and what can we do to combat that.

Joining Kamran Abbasi, the BMJ’s editor in chief are:

Deborah Cohen: Freelance Journalist; Senior Visiting Fellow at LSE Health

Kamila Hawthorne: Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing

Nnena Osuji: Consultant haematologist and CEO of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

Chapters

[00:00] The rise of health influencers

[03:55] Patient satisfaction and the NHS

[05:58] The "Infodemic" and clinical impact

[11:04] Digital literacy and health inequalities

[16:40] Questions from the audience

 

Reading list:

Cohen D. Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health. Oneworld Publications; 2026.

Satisfaction with NHS hits record low, but public still back founding principles - The BMJ

In this episode, Dr Katie Bramall, Chair of the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee, joins the podcast to discuss her concerns surrounding the new GP contract imposed by the UK government.

GP contract overhaul: What's included and how has it been received?

Helen Salisbury: Another imposed GP contract

As public health officials warn about rising emissions from urban wood burning, a BMJ investigation finds that just under a third of UK councils in high use areas have faced pressure from the stove industry to tone down or withdraw campaigns.

Almost a third of UK children live in poverty. Leading expert Michael Marmot weighs in on the UK’s "steepest rise" in child poverty among OECD countries and why local government "Marmot Cities" like Coventry and Manchester are taking the lead where national policy falls short.

And, a new BMJ collection has just been published on child mental health in conflict zones. 1 in 5 children globally live in conflict zones, creating a staggering mental health toll. We hear about community-led interventions.

 

Reading list:

The growing threat of domestic wood burning stoves—and industry’s legal attempts to shut down clean air campaigns

Michael Marmot: Labour has reneged on its child poverty promises

Child mental health in conflict settings