| | 1. Urgent action and legislation are needed to tackle overseas bariatric and cosmetic tourismСр, 17 апр[-/+]Автор(?) | We were pleased to read the article highlighting the ongoing problem of complications from overseas surgery.1Our department has seen several patients with emergency complications associated with cosmetic tourism in the past year. The most common reasons for seeking surgery abroad are inability to access NHS care and inability to afford private UK alternatives.2Most patients presenting with complications from overseas cosmetic surgery require admission for surgery, drainage of collections, or intravenous antibiotics. Imaging is often necessary to characterise collections or during ultrasound guided drainage. Some patients require washouts or revision of surgery, and often need ongoing wound care and outpatient follow-up over several months. When patients do not present immediately, they suffer without appropriate follow-up.Aside from the disproportionate use of emergency resources and theatre time when compared with elective surgery, managing complications from overseas surgery comes with logistical difficulties, such as problems accessing operative documentation.It is difficult to know the number... | ↑ |
2. Breaking free from the stigma of diabetesСр, 17 апр[-/+]Автор(?) | Have you ever felt the cold prickle of eyes staring at you as they silently pass judgment? Stigma is a term that carries the weight of unsaid words. And while the Oxford Dictionary might define it neatly, its repercussions are messier and more tangible in daily life.I come from India, a land rich in contrasts. This land of astronauts and farmers, of tech moguls and street vendors, often finds itself entangled in webs of age-old traditions. Within these traditions, the shadow of stigma looms large—the weight of “log kya kahenge?” which translates as “What will people say?” In my India, type 1 diabetes isn’t just a medical term, it’s spoken about by many both privately and publicly as a “kalank” or “stain” on society. Diabetes is seen as a supposed flaw, and type 1 diabetes carries greater stigma than type 2. The hushed discussions and the fleeting glances are often... | ↑ |
3. Almost a quarter more working adults will have major illness by 2040, experts predictСр, 17 апр[-/+]Автор(?) | Rising levels of ill health will take a toll on people’s lives and the economy in the next 15 years, health policy experts have warned. They predict that 23% more adults of working age in England will have a diagnosed major illness by 2040, with 3.7 million people affected, up from three million in 2019.The Health Foundation think tank makes the prediction in a report on inequalities in major illness in England.1 This follows a report from last year,2 which estimated that the number of people of all ages with major illness in England would increase to 9.3 million in 2040, a rise of 2.6 million from 2019.Some 80% of the 700 000 workers who will be affected by major illness by 2040 will live in more deprived areas, making existing health inequalities worse and affecting local and regional economies, says the latest report.A few conditions were contributing to most... | ↑ |
4. Child health: UK must regain “lost ground,” Kingdon urges next governmentСр, 17 апр[-/+]Автор(?) | “I am a very optimistic, glass half full person. But I think we’re in a really bad position in terms of child health in this country,” says Camilla Kingdon. After a proactive three years in post, Kingdon stepped down as president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) in March. Steve Turner succeeds her in the role.When asked to sum up the state of child health in the UK in an exit interview with The BMJ, Kingdon pulls no punches about the country’s current shortcomings. “When we benchmark ourselves against other OECD countries by almost any measure, we’re performing really disappointingly,” she says. “As a British paediatrician I’m upset because we’ve lost ground. To say that I feel ashamed wouldn’t be an understatement, because I think most people imagine that healthcare in the UK is an exemplar. But what we’re seeing from the data is that we’ve... | ↑ |
5. Paediatricians call for new cabinet level position of children’s ministerСр, 17 апр[-/+]Автор(?) | The next government should establish a senior cabinet level position of children’s minister to ensure that young people’s health and wellbeing are at the heart of all policy making, the outgoing president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said.In an exit interview with The BMJ Camilla Kingdon, who stepped down last month after three years in the post, said that with a general election looming it was vital to push for a strong voice in government to represent children’s interests.1Last month the college published an updated version of its children’s manifesto for improving child health across areas where outcomes had deteriorated,2 including oral health, mental health, obesity, vaccination coverage, and exposure to air pollution. Appointing a senior minister for children would ensure that policies supportive to these goals were pursued across government, the college said.The current government has a post of minister for children and families,... | ↑ |
6. Concerns over physician associates are missing the wood for the treesСр, 17 апр[-/+]Автор(?) | Mafi, Oliver, and Salisbury identify myriad problems with the expanding workforce of physician associates (PAs).123“Form follows function” has long been the mantra of architects. The NHS should adopt it when planning the future role of PAs. There has never been a clear policy on the clinical needs PAs should respond to or where they should be located in the complex organisation that is the NHS. These matters must be resolved.PAs are the new kids on the block and their arrival in ever increasing numbers raises many questions about clinical accountability and governance, and professional status. One view is that PAs are merely joining the ranks of a number of other clinical practitioners, including foundation doctors. But none of these others are “associates” to physicians by title, even though many would consider themselves to be so in practice, and most have a professional code of practice encompassing autonomy. Beyond “role” there... | ↑ |
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