The number of people claiming Universal Credit has increased by 98% since March 2020. Increased levels of unemployment and job insecurity have meant that families that were “getting by” before […]
Guest writers
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World—even less independent from its tobacco company funder
Funding “independent” research is a long-standing tobacco industry strategy used to sow doubt, offer ineffective “solutions” to industry-caused problems, and legitimize industry efforts to engage in public health policymaking. [1-3] […]
More data on drug related deaths—a clear warning sign that all is not well in the UK
New evidence shows the risk of drug related death is more acute in deprived areas—a finding that tells us a lot about the UK’s underlying structural inequalities, says Ian Hamilton […]
Marcus Rashford: Every child deserves the best chance in life, and here is how health professionals can help
Marcus Rashford writes an open letter to health professionals […]
Should treatments for covid-19 be denied to people who have refused to be vaccinated?
Some commentators have called for people who have refused the covid vaccine to be de-prioritised if they then become sick. John Coggon says there are compelling ethical arguments against the […]
Trudi Seneviratne: To recover lost ground in mental health, we need to understand the data
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 […]
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 […]