Medicine and Science from The BMJ

The BMJ

The BMJ brings you interviews with the people who are shaping medicine and science around the world.

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20 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes20

Newest first

Friday · 49 min
Are doctors afraid of death?
In this week's podcast - the Sensitivity of Patient Questionnaires: If you've ever asked a patient to fill out a Patient Health Questionnaire (like the PHQ-9) to assess their mental health and wondered exactly how much of a change it can actually detect, new research just published on bmj.com sets out to answer that question. We're joined by Brett Thombs, Professor in the department of Psychiatry at McGill University Also this week, Are Doctors Scared of Death? BMJ Careers Editor Abi Rimmer sits down in the studio with Richard Coker, Emeritus Professor of Public Health at LSHTM. Drawing from his early days as an HIV doctor during the onset of the AIDS epidemic, and later with infectious disease outbreaks in South East Asia. Professor Coker discusses the profound experiences of the end of his patients lives that shaped his new book, Timor Mortis: How We Live with Death. Reading list: Minimal detectable change of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-8, and Patient Health Questionnaire-2`
July 24 · 49 min
Is Burnham's 'Manchesterism' the fix for health & social care?
Known for his use of devolved powers, during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham now has the opportunity to bring his local blueprint to the national stage. But what does this mean for the future of health and social care? Our panel explore the deeply rooted health inequalities tied to the social determinants of health, the disconnect between local decision-making and national infrastructure, and the urgent need to extend the ability to access social care to more of England's population. We're joined by Michael Marmot: Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London (UCL) and author of the landmark Marmot Review. Sarah Woolnough: Chief Executive of the health think tank, The King's Fund. Matt Sutton: Professor of Health Economics at the University of Manchester. Reading List Devolution can create new opportunities for better health Will devolving powers to mayors close England’s health gap? Andy Burnham’s goal of good growth could be a health-creating mission that supports environmental action The King's Fund responds to Andy Burnham’s comments on social care
July 21 · 45 min
Measuring ethnicity in research, NHS job discrimination, and how medicine led evidence revolution
Discrimination in NHS Hiring: We examine the troubling success rates of Black and Asian doctors when applying for NHS jobs. Deputy news editor, Gareth Iacobucci speaks to Anthony Emmanushares his analysis on why discrimination persists in the medical workforce and what recent reports reveal. The Ethnicity Data Gap in Research: While sex and gender are reported in 99% of trials, ethnicity is reported in only 48%. Bianca Brijnath, Professor of Health Communication in Society at La Trobe University, joins us to discuss a newly published framework aimed at standardizing the capture and reporting of ethnicity data in clinical trials. The Evidence Revolution: We celebrate how evidence-based medicine (EBM) has set the gold standard for other areas of science. Mun-Keat Looi, The BMJ’s International News and Features Editor, speaks with Nature editor and science journalist Helen Pearson about her new book, Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works. Reading List Black and Asian doctors are up to 30 times less likely to be offered medical training posts in some specialties, data show Measurement of ethnicity in clinical trials: Delphi survey and consensus statement Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works by Helen Pearson
July 10 · 34 min
Hands off our data: the need for sovereignty in a connected world
Who actually owns our health data once it is stored in the cloud? And how do we balance the global push for open medical research with the need to protect local populations from data extraction? Kamran Abbasi sits down with Trudie Lang, Professor of Global Health Research at the University of Oxford and David Strain, Associate Professor of Cardiometabolic Health at the University of Exeter. Together, they dive into the complex ethical and legal landscape of data sovereignty - unpacking the loopholes that could allow the US government access to NHS data, and how medical research in resource poorer settings can be extractive of data. They set out the case for data sovereignty, and how it could practically work while not stifling essential international research collaboration Read the related articles on BMJ.com: The CLOUD Act: NHS data must be safeguarded from US interests by David Strain A commitment to act on data sharing by Kamran Abbasi Data sharing must evolve towards data sovereignty by Trudie Lang
July 3 · 47 min
750 recommendations, and little change - why the UK keeps having maternity care reviews.
Two NHS maternity reviews have been published over the past few weeks. The biggest ever conducted, involving nearly 2500 families, investigated services at Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust. It was led by senior midwife, Donna Ockenden, and its findings on poor and avoidable harm to babies and mothers have reverberated throughout UK healthcare. This was followed immediately by publication of an independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England, conducted by Valerie Amos, which states that the UK's poor maternity care is "on a scale that shames our society". We speak to Kate Duhig, clinical senior lecturer at Kings College London, and Marian Knight, professor of of maternal and child population health at the University of Oxford, about why we keep having reports saying the same thing, but little action to solve the problem. As many wealthy nations have stepped back from previous aid promises, a new force has emerged to fill the gaps: private finance. David McCoy is professor of global public health at the United Nations University, and explains why turning to investment banks, wealth funds, and private equity in the pursuit of universal health coverage might cause more problems than it solves. Reading list: Dangers of finance capital in healthcare Amos maternity review: Doctors must work differently as units “no longer fit for purpose,” but report is dogged by controversy Nottingham maternity review: 520 mothers and babies were seriously harmed on “toxic” ward, damning inquiry finds
June 26 · 38 min
Children are bypassing the Australian social media ban
Australia has been in the vanguard of legislation to try and reduce the influence of social media on children and young people - their ban for under 16s was introduced on the 10th of December 2025, to great fanfare, and a lot of interest around the world. But how effective are these bans at keeping children away from social media? New research just published on BMJ.com has looked at that question of efficacy - finding that children are using the most simple tactics to evade the ban. To dicuss what that means, we're joined by two of the authors of that research Courtney Barnes and Luke Wolfenden from the University of Newcastle, Australia. We’re also joined by Amrit Purba, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Louise Holly, from the Digital Transformations for Health Lab, in Geneva, who have written commentaries to go with that research. Reading list Assessing early effects of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Act on adolescents’ social media use Learning from Australia’s social media age restriction policy Early data from Australia indicate that social media companies can’t be relied on to protect children
June 22 · 48 min
The £400 million blackhole for doctor training, drug ads evading regulation, and reining in AI in war
The US military’s Operation “Epic Fury” highlighted the devastating cost of using artificial intelligence for rapid military planning. Thomas Adamkiewicz, associate professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Zulfiqar Bhutta, Robert Harding Inaugural Chair in Global Child Health at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, to discuss why international humanitarian law is lagging dangerously behind technology, and why we urgently need a new era of legal frameworks to govern AI use in war. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription medicines is strictly illegal everywhere in the world except for the United States and New Zealand. Deborah Cohen, investigative journalist, joins us to explain how global social media platforms are making borders porous, allowing Hollywood celebrities and high-profile influencers to broadcast drug endorsements directly into the feeds of UK citizens. Finally, Between 2020 and 2023, the UK government allocated £1.7 billion specifically intended for frontline doctor training. However, a deep-dive investigation has revealed that a staggering £400 million of that funding is completely unaccounted for - David Hutchison, paediatrics registrar, and Jonathan De Oliveira, GP trainee, join us to describe what they found. Reading List AI warfare demands a new era of humanitarian law Bad influencers: How social media imported US-style drug advertising to the UK “Black hole” of medical student funding
June 12 · 36 min
Cancer screening: when does testing go too far?
The heated debate on prostate cancer screening boils down to one question: should men be routinely screened? Two recent position statements from the UK’s national screening committee published in the BMJ show that screening decisions are steeped in complexity. The benefits of screening may be easier to grasp, but the harms of overdiagnosis and overtreatment are given less attention. Can we close the divide between the public and academic discourse? Guest: Sian Taylor-Phillips is professor of population health at the University of Warwick and a member of the UK national screening committee. Further Reading: UK National Screening Committee position statement on surrogate outcomes in cancer screening trials Prostate cancer screening: Committee rejects calls for mass testing programme despite pressure More interviews from the BMJ on our Youtube channel.
June 6 · 41 min
Child mortality has reduced, but there are worrying trends
New estimates of Global Patterns in Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent Mortality have been published - and while there has been a huge improvement, those gains are in danger - and we’re seeing worrying trends. Kate Strong, a Scientist at the World Health Organization and Lucia Hug, a specialist in statistics and monitoring for UNICEF, join us to explain the data - and why they are worried about our ability to measure this in the future. Helen Sharman is the first British Astronaut to make it to space - this week she was at the Royal College of GPs giving the General Medical Council's annual Marx lecture. She joins us to discuss how research in space might impact healthcare on Earth, and what the NHS can learn from cosmonaut teamwork. Finally, The government and doctors in England are not getting on well - we’ve had a series of strikes from the resident doctors, GPs are in dispute about the imposition of a new contract, and now consultants are being polled on industrial action. BMA Consultants Committee co-chairs Shanu Dutta and Helen Neary explain why. Reading list Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent Mortality Global, regional, and national levels and trends in under 5, infant, and neonatal mortality during 1990-2024 with scenario based projections to 2030 Global, regional, and national levels and trends in older child, adolescent, and youth (5-24 years) all cause mortality from 1990 to 2024: modelling study Systematic estimates of global causes of neonatal and under 5 mortality in 2000-24: secondary data analysis using bayesian multinomial logistic regression Estimates of global causes of death for children and adolescents aged 5-19 in 2000-24: secondary data analysis using bayesian multinomial logistic regression Full interview on YouTube: Why NHS Senior Doctors in England Are Considering Strike Action
May 29 · 36 min
How to make healthcare more human
Does healthcare have a moral emergency? In this episode of the Medicine and Science podcast, Kamran Abbasi sits down with healthcare leaders Maureen Bisognano, president emerita of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Bob Klaber, director of strategy at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, to discuss why they're calling the lack of humanity in medicine an emergency. We ask why this dangerous imbalance between the rational (efficiency, data, and metrics) and the relational (human connection, empathy, and listening) has developed in modern medicine. We also learn how simple changes, like asking "What matters to you?" instead of just "What's the matter?, can help us put the humanity back into healthcare. Reading list Read the BMJ Article: Healthcare's moral emergency: reconnecting healthcare with its mission and purpose Michael West on workforce kindness Amy Edmondson on psychological safety Len Berry on cancer care & kindness
May 22 · 36 min
What does Wes Streeting's exit mean for the NHS modernisation bill?
It has been a tumultuous time in UK health politics. UK Health Minister ,Wes Streeting, has freshly resigned. What does this mean for his newly introduced NHS Modernization Bill as it heads through Parliament? Together with Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy and Research at the Health Foundation, we unpack the bill's sweeping centralization of power, the abolition of NHS England, and the contentious role for US tech firm Palantir in the new NHS. And, we explore a major milestone for women's healthcare. A condition affecting an estimated 170 million women globally has officially been renamed from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). Rachel Morman, Chair of the PMOS charity Verity, joins us to explain why dropping "cysts" from the name is a vital step toward recognizing this as a complex, multi-system condition, and how this co-designed change will fundamentally reshape diagnosis, treatment, and future research. Further reading: Health Bill brings NHS management back into government PMOS: What's in a name? Everything PCOS name change to PMOS must be managed to avoid confusing patients, says expert
May 15 · 49 min
Social media companies are using the tobacco industry playbook to addict children
Twitter was launched 20 years ago, followed quickly by the iPhone and Instagram. Today, nearly 60% of the world’s population uses social media. Medical experts are sounding the alarm on the potential for these platforms to cause systemic harm. This past year has seen large events in the legal and public health battle against tech giants, with millions of dollars awarded in damages to child victims. Why has pinning down these companies proven difficult? And, what are the parallels between the social media industry and the historical tactics of "Big Tobacco"? Guests: Matthew Bergman is a practicing attorney and the founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, as well as a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. Ilona Kickbusch is an editorial board member of the BMJ and a visiting professor at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab at the University of Geneva, specializing in the commercial determinants of health. Further reading: From tobacco to TikTok: what public health litigation history tells us about holding social media accountable What is the evidence for social media addiction?
May 8 · 39 min
Revisiting the Cass Review on gender identity services, and non-invasive brain stimulation for children with autism
The BMA has released their long awaited review of the Cass report. The original report looked at the provision of NHS gender identity services for children and young people, and involved a review of the science underpinning those services. It also set out a plan to improve care for gender diverse young people. We talk with David Strain of the BMA’s board of science to discuss their findings, and hear why they were critical of the Secretary of State, Wes Streeting's response to Cass’s review. And, we hear about new research published with The BMJ that aims to help children with autism. The researchers used a non-invasive magnetic stimulation technique to target specific regions of the brain, with the goal of promoting sociality. We discuss the benefits, and how this technique might translate to treatment plans for patients. Guests: David Strain is an associate professor in cardio-metabolic health at the University of Exeter and Chair of the BMA’s Board of Science. Benjamin Becker is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Hong Kong, specializing in brain-based interventions for mental disorders. Further reading: Puberty blockers: BMA critique vindicates Cass review but questions government “overreach” Accelerated non-invasive brain stimulation in childhood autism
May 1 · 43 min
The US UK trade deal will cost the NHS billions, and only serve to increase pharma profits
The new trade deal struck between the UK and US came into force in April. The deal will double the amount that the NHS spends on new medicines, by the end of 2036 (from 0.6 - 0.6% of GDP). increase the threshold that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sets for drug approvals - which will allow more to be approved, but will also allow companies to charge more for their pharmaceuticals, include a change to the rebate the NHS receives, to ensure that the extra drug spend occurs. Cumulatively this will increase our drug spend by £56 billion in the next 10 years, which will have to come out of current healthcare spending - which experts are calling a catastrophe for the NHS. Joining Kamran Abbasi to discuss are Sally Gainsbury, a senior policy analyst Nuffield Trust and Karl Claxton, professor of economics at the University of York. We also hear from Francis Ruiz, policy analyst at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Reading list The UK government must publish a detailed impact assessment of the costs and benefits of the US-UK medicines partnership A budget apart: the case for ringfencing medicines in the UK
April 24 · 38 min
MS drug controversy, adoption outcomes in Sweden, and the multi-factorial reality of Alzheimer’s
A blockbuster MS drug undergoes FDA re-evaluation. We explore the story of Ocrelizumab, a treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis, following a patient petition that highlighted internal disagreements among agency reviewers regarding its efficacy. We look to Sweden, where new research involving sibling pairs separated by adoption investigates how early-life environments shape long-term health and social outcomes. Finally, we revisit the dominant medical narrative on Alzheimer’s disease. Why is it so difficult to move towards comprehensive treatments? Has the focus on amyloid plaques hindered our understanding of other critical factors like vascular health and social inequality? Peter Doshi is a senior editor at The BMJ and an associate professor of pharmaceutical health services research at the University of Maryland. Erik Peterson is an associate professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, specializing in psychiatric epidemiology and adoption studies. Carol Brayne is a professor emerita of public health medicine at the University of Cambridge and a leading expert in the epidemiology of dementia. Reading List: Multiple sclerosis: Could Roche's bestselling drug Ocrevus be doing more harm than good in women with primary progressive MS? Home environment conditions during childhood and psychosocial outcomes across three generations in Sweden: population based adoption-discordant sibling comparison study
April 17 · 51 min
The Trump administration is an international health emergency
Covid 19 was the last Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Our guests in this podcast think that the Trump Administration should be declared the next one. Joining Kamran Abbasi are, Fatima Hassan, human rights lawyer and Director of the Health Justice Initiative in South Africa, and Matthew Herder, Director of the Health Justice Institute at Dalhousie University in Canada explain why they think that the actions and consequences of the Whitehouse meet the bar for WHO to delcare an emergency We examine the global consequences of recent US policy shifts, including: The withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its implications for international health governance. Significant funding cuts to global health programs, including PEPFAR and the CDC, and how these disruptions affect life-saving HIV and TB treatments in the Global South. The rise of "unhinged nationalism" in health policy, from North American measles outbreaks to the extraction of trade concessions in exchange for medical aid. The role of US health leadership in fueling vaccine hesitancy and dismantling scientific research at the NIH. Reading list: Trump and his administration as a public health emergency of international concern Why the expanded global gag rule is a deadly triple tripwire for recipients of US foreign aid The power of the markets: the scandal that keeps on taking
April 13 · 39 min
The 15th strike, and bringing compassion back to A&E
Coming up in this week’s episode: The 15th Strike: As the latest six-day walkout by resident doctors in England concludes, the BMJ's news team examines the state of the ongoing dispute over pay and training places. Iain Beardsell, consultant in emergency medicine in Southampton explain why he thinks reintroducing compassion could be the key to tackling the systemic issues facing emergency departments And finally, The BMA announces major changes to how it represents doctors in private practice - we hear why they think the US has some better legislation around health insurance than the UK. Reading list: Resident doctor strikes: Streeting demands to “meet with the organ grinders” as latest action ends The BMJ interviews Jack Fletcher Make compassion visible in emergency medicine again BMA boosts support for private practice as NHS failings prompt more patients to pay for care
April 3 · 34 min
The unchecked rise of shisha tobacco cafes, and making breastfeeding stick
The BMJ published a negative result this week. A new trial focuses on a peer support intervention for improving breastfeeding rates in the UK, but finds no major improvement. We hear from the lead author who tells us what went wrong, and the insights that can still be drawn from apparent ‘failures’. Next we turn our eyes to shisha smoking in the UK. With shisha or “hookah” cafes on the rise, we explore the smoking habit in more detail. What are the effects on health? And why are UK laws poor at regulating the practice? Kate Jolly is professor of public health and primary care at the University of Birmingham. Zainab Hussain is a UK-based freelance journalist writing on behalf of The BMJ. Links: Peer support intervention (ABA-feed) to improve breastfeeding: UK based, multicentre, parallel group, randomised controlled trial Shisha tobacco’s availability is rising. Why does UK smoking policy fail to tackle it?
March 27 · 43 min
New Covid inquiry findings with Dr Kevin Fong, and invasive cosmetic procedures
The UK Covid Inquiry released Module Three of its findings this month. It lays out in startling detail the lived experiences of NHS staff and patients who bore through the pandemic. In the report’s words: ‘healthcare systems coped with the pandemic, but only just’. The BMJ speaks to Kevin Fong, anaesthetist lead for major incidence planning at UCL hospitals, to break down Module Three’s most important takeaways. And, invasive surgical cosmetic procedures are on the rise in the UK, with regulation patchy at best. From botox and fillers, to tummy tucks and breast surgeries, we hear about the gaps in patient protections that leave space for harm. Kevin Fong is a consultant anaesthetist, broadcaster, and anaesthetist lead for major incidence planning at UCL hospitals. Danielle Griffiths is an author and lecturer at the University of Liverpool’s School of Law. Alexandra Mullock is an author and senior lecturer in medical law at the University of Manchester. UK Covid Inquiry Module Three Report Regulating invasive cosmetic procedures to reduce harm | The BMJ
March 20 · 33 min
How the war in Iran will disrupt medical supplies around the world
The Gulf states are not large producers of pharmaceuticals or healthcare products - but the oil they supply, and the transport infrastructure they have built, are key components in a worldwide logistical network that underpin all of the pharmaceutical and other medical consumables we use. From critical NHS shortages like Bone Cement for orthopedic surgery, to persistent IV fluid supply crises plaguing Australian hospitals, we discuss how the conflict in Iran will affect fragile healthcare logistics. Joining us today are Mark Dayan, Brexit programme lead at the Nuffield Trust) on NHS procurement problems Anny Huang, doctor and journalist in Brisbane,on the three-year IV fluid shortages in Australia. Prashant Yadav a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, on the potential global effects of the Iranian conflict on international supply chains. Reading list Global bone cement shortage: NHS could cancel or delay knee and hip operations How Australia survived a sudden shortage of IV fluids Where the Iran War Could Disrupt Pharmaceutical Supply Chains