Around 1 in 20 calls to NHS 111 helpline result in unnecessary emergency care visit

Despite advice to seek alternative options, such as the family doctor, local pharmacist, or self-care Around one in 20 calls made to the healthcare helpline NHS 111 result in unnecessary attendance at emergency care within 24 hours, despite callers having been advised to seek alternative forms of care, reveals an analysis published in the online […]

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UK MPs with extra work roles may be nearly three times as likely to be ‘risky’ drinkers

Those with ‘probable’ mental health issues may also be at heightened risk, survey suggests UK parliamentarians with additional work roles may be nearly three times as likely to be ‘risky’ drinkers as MPs without these extra obligations, suggest the results of a small survey, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Those with ‘probable’ mental health […]

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2016 US election result preceded fall in proportion of boys born in Canada

Sex ratio at birth fell in politically liberal areas, but not in conservative ones The 2016 US presidential election result, which brought Donald Trump to power, was associated with a temporary fall in the proportion of boys to girls born in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open. This […]

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Almost a third of UK doctors may be ‘burnt out’ and stressed, poll suggests.

Those in emergency medicine and general practice most at risk. Nearly one in three UK doctors may be ‘burnt out’ and stressed,’ suggests the results of an in-depth survey, published in the online journal BMJ Open. The findings indicate that doctors working in emergency medicine and general practice are the most at risk of exhaustion, stress, […]

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Caring for a grandchild linked to lower risk of loneliness and social isolation

Active grandparents have larger social networks than those without this role Caring for a grandchild may be linked to a lower risk of loneliness and social isolation, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Active grandparents have larger social networks, which include people who are important to them, than those who don’t have this […]

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Top 10 Most Read in November: prevalence of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, burnout among obstetricians and gynaecologists, and risk factors for self-harm in LGBTQ+ young people

The top ten list for November gives us a real mix of topics, with three new papers entering the list this month. At number one is a cohort and nested case-control study describing the epidemiology of diagnosed hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) using linked electronic medical records. EDS and HSD have historically […]

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25-fold surge in vitamin D supplement prescriptions for kids in UK primary care

Increasingly higher doses and no prior diagnostic blood test in large number of cases The number of vitamin D supplement prescriptions written for children in primary care in the UK has surged 25-fold in under 10 years, reveals an analysis of family doctor (GP) prescribing data, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Increasingly higher doses […]

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Open Access Week 2019: Our most discussed articles

This week marks the tenth International Open Access (OA) Week. To celebrate OA week, we have gathered our ten most discussed articles of the past year according to Altmetric. We think this list of 10 articles highlights the enormous breadth of BMJ Open’s content, covering topics as diverse as medical ethics to salty noodles. And, […]

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3+ hours daily social media use linked to poor sleep patterns in UK teens

Findings provide “meaningful evidence” for adolescent health and wellbeing, say researchers Spending three or more hours a day on social media is associated with poor sleep patterns, such as falling asleep after 11 pm on school nights and waking during the night, among UK teens, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. The findings […]

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