What does the death of NHS England, and the western alliance, mean for health?
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
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37:48
The data on physician associates in the UK, and speaking up in the NHS
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
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47:02
Phil Banfield on the British Medical Association's plan to support doctors
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.
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29:23
Combating disinformation, and time to stop spinal injections for chronic pain
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?
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31:10
Why compassion isn't just nice, it's essential
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.
UK