The medical press is carrying a lot about the latest international arguments about breast screening. The BMJ carried an excellent editorial ‘Mammography wars” highlighting the recent Canadian taskforce on the subject. This called for a halt to routine breast examination, and a starting age of 50 before starting screening mammography, which they recommended to be […]
Continue Reading →Dr Foster, association and causation
The headlines today have been driven by publication of the ‘Dr Foster’ (“the UK’s leading provider of comparative information on health and social care services”) annual hospital guide. The Guardian have reported it as have the Telegraph, who headline “Experts warn hospitals not to cut staff over weekend death risk.” They have presented their data as […]
Continue Reading →False hope and real living
The Quackometer has had some rather unpleasant emails following his criticism of the Burzynski clinic. The issue is that some people wanted to kindly raise money for a child with cancer to be treated there, when the evidence for the proffered interventions is questionable. Other people have examined the science very well. There is something […]
Continue Reading →General practitioners and sickness absence
Currently, it works like this. If you are ill and unable to work, you sign yourself off work for the first 7 days. This is self-certification. After this, you need a doctors’ line – the so-called Fit Note. This is a certificate from the doctor to say that you are currently unable to work due […]
Continue Reading →NICE, caesarian sections and the weekend press
In May 2011 NICE published draft guidance on caesarian sections which were not medically necessary. The guidance they have drafted is cut and pasted below. Over the weekend there was extensive coverage of the guidance. Here is the Daily Mail, Channel 4 News, The Sun, and the Independent; there was also a Press Association notice. It all […]
Continue Reading →Show us the evidence for the flu jab
Article in Pulse magazine about flu vaccination in healthcare professionals. Concluding; there is not good enough evidence, and we should be invited to join a trial, not told we are ‘selfish’ for not having it. (Free registration required)
Continue Reading →Client or patient?
I want to be a patient, and to treat patients. Following on from twitter discussion, here’s something I prepared earlier.
Continue Reading →GPs ‘failing cancer patients’
From the Guardian, and also making it’s way forth into the Daily Mail, the Mirror, Management in Practice, and Pulse , amongst others. The story is apparently that “GPs are failing to identify conditions such as osteoporosis, heart disease and bowel trouble that can affect patients’ lives for years after they have become free of tumours, claims […]
Continue Reading →Adult and child asylum seekers
should be treated with humanity. Free link to BMJ article here.
Continue Reading →The Health bill : lack of coverage is a bad prognosis
Health and Social Care Bill has apparently been carried. The government won with a majority of 65. Look at the ‘debate’ here – a sedate affair, with plenty of jolly laughing, a bit of sexism, and an aside about the wonders of complementary medicine thrown in. A sixth year debating society would have done better. Meantime, the […]
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