The effect of covid-19 on mental health has been significant and well reported. The NHS, which was already struggling to meet targets prior to the pandemic, has faced reduced staff […]
Guest writers
Working towards harmonised access to clinical trial data across European drug regulatory agencies
On 31 May 2021, a group of researchers and NGOs (see list of signatories in the acknowledgement section below) submitted an open letter to the Heads of Medicines Agencies, a […]
Simon Hodes: Mixed messages on covid-19 childhood vaccination leave patients confused and GPs on the back foot
After much discussion and debate, on 19 July 2021, we finally heard the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) decision that the UK will now start vaccinating some at […]
Conspicuous by its absence: health in the European Commission’s Artificial Intelligence Act
A new proposal for regulating AI in the EU disregards the risks of AI when it comes to people’s health, writes Hannah van Kolfschooten […]
GP patient survey points to some of the challenges that general practice is now facing
The publication of the results of the GP patient survey is always a significant moment—a survey of c850,000 people merits serious attention. The survey happens every year and is an […]
Anne Williamson: Post-covid justice—a time for transformation
The injustices were always there, but a core part of the injustice was that we didn’t even hear of them—the early deaths, or those whose quality of life was ruined […]
Artificial intelligence for covid-19 response
AI has yet to fulfil its potential, but it could if we learn lessons from covid-19 […]
The health of coastal communities: a national problem
Coastal communities, the villages, towns, and cities of England’s coast, include many of the most beautiful, vibrant, and historically important places in the country. They also have some of the […]
Management consultancy in healthcare—time for some independent action?
At the height of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the UK government and NHS signed off on a number of contracts with large management consultancy firms without going through the […]
Kit Yates: (How) can we reach herd immunity?
The term “herd immunity” first found its way into the UK’s public consciousness very early on in the pandemic. The UK’s chief scientific officer, Patrick Vallance, talked about allowing “enough […]