Medicine and Science from The BMJ

Epizode

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  Risk, uncertainty, and medical decision-making - Professor Chris Whitty 18.09.2026 44min

  Something different for the podcast today: a live event. It’s the inaugural BMJ lecture, in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences and hosted at the historic Royal Academy of Arts. We want to talk about the big issues facing healthcare professionals around the world - and we’re starting with one of the biggest: how do we make decisions in the face of real risk and genuine uncertainty? Well, who better to talk through those big questions than the man who had to try to navigate those risks and uncertainties during the pandemic? Chris Whitty is England’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Medical Adviser to the UK Government, advising on all aspects of healthcare. He is also a professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he was director of their Malaria Centre. In his lecture, Professor Whitty argues that medical training must better prepare doctors to manage risk, highlighting that "higher risk decisions, and accountability for these, have moved to later in training", causing a "substantial and sudden step up" in risk for new consultants. He acknowledges AI’s potential to speed up clinical diagnostics, but warns against public-facing AI tools that present diagnoses with false certainty while ignoring medical risk and uncertainty.
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  Food industry nutrition advisor conflicts, and regulation of healthcare AI 11.09.2026 38min

  Back in 2024, the BMJ revealed how more than half of the members of the UK government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, had declared financial interests with food and drinks companies. A tightening of the rules followed, but two years after our initial investigation, we have returned - and we found that nearly a third of nutrition advisors still have significant ties to the food industry. Chris Van Tulleken, professor of infection and immunology at University College London, and author of the book “Ultra Processed People”, joins us to explain why he thinks ongoing industry ties are bad for the UK's health.   Also this week. We have tight regulation of medical tech in the UK, but new AI tools don’t fit neatly into that existing process - and so the government has set up a National Commission on the Regulation of AI in Healthcare,  Alastair Denniston, and Henrietta Hughes, who headed that commission, join us to explain how AI should be monitored, how we can ensure it's safety, and who should be responsible when something goes wrong.   Reading list: A third of UK government’s nutrition advisers are still paid by food industry, including Coca Cola and Nestlé National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare: Recommendations for a future regulatory framework
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  Now is a golden opportunity to change primary care 04.09.2026 31min

  The next few months might be an inflection point for GPs in England and Wales  Our strong primary care system is often credited in the success of the NHS - But changes to how that system works are currently underway. Legislation is quietly proceeding through parliament that will reorganise the way in which local care is structured, and those changes are raising concerns for GPs. To talk about how we build a stronger primary care system, and stronger NHS we're joined by: Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of General Practitioners Sam Everington, a GP in East London, and a non-executive director of NHS England Kamila Hawthorne, GP in South Wales, and chair of National Academy for Social Prescribing We also take the opportunity to hear about where social prescribing fits into this new picture, and why our panel think it's important in changing the UK's health. Reading list Building a stronger NHS: an open letter from past and present presidents and chairs of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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  When medical exams go wrong, & CTE in the NFL 28.08.2026 49min

  In this week’s podcast we’ll be hearing a lot about exams - the bane of many doctor’s training lives, exams that determine your future are scattered through medicine and can cause a huge amount of anxiety and stress…   John McLachlan, professor of medical education at the University of Lancashire, has carried out four reviews of medical exams. He explains what happens to the people who have been marked wrongly, why he thinks re-sits should be done differently, and why multiple choice questions are still in use.   Over the Summer there have been extensive protests from the young people of India, the “Cockroach Janta Party” has led demonstrations across the country, sparked by allegations of cheating in India’s “NEET” exams - the federal tests taken by applicants to India's medical training.   Rohan Krishnan, orthopaedic surgeon in Delhi, and chief of the Federation of All India Medical Association, and Kathir Karuppiah, a house surgeon in Tamil Nadu, join us to explain where India's medical admissions tests are failing students.   We’ll also hear about new research into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in NFL players.  Daniel Daneshvar is associate professor at Harvard Medical School, and he and his co-authors have examined the brains of 338 former players, with the goal of determining how many of them died with CTE neurodegeneration. He joins us to explain his findings, and what it means for competitive sports players and others who play contact sports.   Reading list:   “Cockroach” victory: India’s education minister resigns over medical exam scandal linked to 12 suicides   Prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at death in National Football League players: retrospective population based cohort study, 2008-21
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  AI in healthcare - getting it right, and stopping it going wrong 21.08.2026 38min

  This week we’re focusing on how healthcare is using AI systems. The NHS is firmly set on a course of AI integration, with NHS England committing £10 billion of taxpayer funds to the cause over the next three years. The pressure to implement AI in our hospitals is intense. But, how can healthcare leaders know what makes for a good AI adoption strategy? Victor Montori and Jon Tilburt are physicians from the US’ Mayo Clinic. They join us to lay out what they are calling the ‘five red flags’ that any organisation needs to consider in its AI rollout.   The UK is already having this conversation. The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare released its initial report in June of this year. Among its findings was a call for a ‘lifecycle-based approach’ to regulation. To explain what this means, as well as how doctors can be equipped to ‘surveil’ AI systems as conditions evolve, we’re joined by the co-authors of a new BMJ editorial - Mark Ball from the University of Derby, and Elvira Perez Vallejos from the University of Nottingham.   And lastly, we talk about a research paper from last week that sparked off some concern. Researchers at Stanford University in California have used generative AI to design novel bacteriophage viruses. But, what have these scientists actually accomplished, and how can we put the right safeguards around the technology? Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, explains the breakthrough and lays out its real implications.   References: We can, but should we? Red flags for hasty, low integrity AI integration into healthcare Regulating AI in healthcare: a moving target Developments in AI designed viruses demonstrate why such research must be done in the open
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  New analysis on Bipolar treatment, and vaccines for malaria 14.08.2026 34min

  Bipolar disorder affects almost 40 million people worldwide, but finding the right treatment is complex, and nearly half of patients struggle to follow their prescribed treatment plans.   In the first part of this episode, we discuss new research which aims to help patients and their doctors identify the right treatment. Michele De Prisco, psychiatrist and researcher at the Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques, joins us to discuss his team's comprehensive umbrella analysis of bipolar disorder treatment options.   Also this week, with the malaria vaccines RTS,S and R21 passing regulatory hurdles, and becoming available for populations around the world, the fight against malaria is shifting. Gillian Turner, Principal Research Associate at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, explains the logistical challenges of the malaria vaccine rollout and what steps are needed next to control the disease. Reading list:   Evidence based interventions for bipolar disorder across phases and age groups   Scaling up Malaria Vaccines in Africa
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  We need to understand how global market forces undermine healthcare 07.08.2026 43min

  This week we focus on the external forces that shape medicine and healthcare.  Global health is changing, after the reduction in financing from wealthy nations, the global community are beginning to implement reforms to improve the situation. However, any change will be unsuccessful until we tackle the fundamental structures that govern outcomes, argue Daniel Bernal-Serrano and Omar Gabriel Torres Valencia from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They join us to explain how economic forces, wealth distribution, and market dynamics undermine health outcomes. We also learn about the rapid rise in private equity financing of healthcare in the UK, and the dangers that poses to healthcare quality. Bernd Rechel is a researcher at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and explains how different countries are handling this drive for healthcare profit extraction.   Reading list: Private equity involvement in UK healthcare Reforming global health architecture requires confronting its political economy
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  Are doctors afraid of death? 31.07.2026 49min

  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`
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  Is Burnham's 'Manchesterism' the fix for health & social care? 24.07.2026 49min

  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 
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  Measuring ethnicity in research, NHS job discrimination, and how medicine led evidence revolution 21.07.2026 45min

  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
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  Hands off our data: the need for sovereignty in a connected world 10.07.2026 34min

  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
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  750 recommendations, and little change - why the UK keeps having maternity care reviews. 03.07.2026 47min

  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
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  Children are bypassing the Australian social media ban 26.06.2026 38min

  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 
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  The £400 million blackhole for doctor training, drug ads evading regulation, and reining in AI in war 22.06.2026 48min

  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
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  Cancer screening: when does testing go too far? 12.06.2026 36min

  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.
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  Child mortality has reduced, but there are worrying trends 06.06.2026 41min

  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
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  How to make healthcare more human 29.05.2026 36min

  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  
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  What does Wes Streeting's exit mean for the NHS modernisation bill? 22.05.2026 36min

  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
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  Social media companies are using the tobacco industry playbook to addict children 15.05.2026 49min

  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?
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  Revisiting the Cass Review on gender identity services, and non-invasive brain stimulation for children with autism 08.05.2026 39min

  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