We must separate the question of whether assisted dying is morally acceptable from the question of whether it should be legalised […]
Guest writers
Lieven Annemans: We need to reach a common understanding about real world data
Although real world data can complement data from trials, overly optimistic expectations about its use may lead to a situation of “surreal world data” […]
Samar Betmouni: Time for a new digital pathology strategy and re-imagined diagnostic service in the UK
An evaluation of the UK’s pathology capacity by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has identified that over the next 5-10 years “there is likely to be a severe crisis.” The report […]
Rediscovering humanitarianism in the wake of the aid agencies scandal
As the reverberations of the recent scandal regarding sexual exploitation in the aid sector continue to ricochet around the world, hogging headlines, and eliciting the inevitable (belated) response of “never […]
Derek Summerfield: NHS antidepressant prescribing—what do we get for £266 million per year?
The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the media routinely state that there is an “epidemic” of mental disorder—1 in 4 people in the UK, with 3 in 4 said not […]
Tom Jefferson and Peter Doshi: RIP PubMed commons
Four years ago, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a pilot project to “leverage the social power of the internet to encourage constructive criticism and high quality discussions.” The service […]
Peter Brindley: The past just ain’t what it used to be
Peter Brindley contemplates how Victorian medicine and its failings holds up a mirror to medicine now […]
Farhana Mann and Sonia Johnson: Addressing loneliness will take more than appointing a minister
Enthusiasm must be matched by evidence and one size will not fit all […]
Sian Lockwood: Fix loneliness—appoint a minister
It is a terrible indictment of our society that so many people of all ages live lonely and isolated lives […]
Elizabeth Romer: Changing the way we talk about people who use drugs is a step towards challenging stigma
In a recent BMJ Opinion article, Ian Hamilton expressed his scepticism that “adopting a new vocabulary to describe people who have problems with drugs will reduce the stigma they experience.” […]