http://www.bmj.com 1756-1833 BMJ

http://www.bmj.com/icons/site/logo.bmj.gif http://www.bmj.com http://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r675.short?rss=1 <![CDATA[New testimony gathered by the BMA details instances of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) making incorrect clinical decisions, dangerously prescribing medication, introducing themselves as doctors, and taking part in surgical procedures for which they were not qualified.1The BMA said that the scale of the evidence it had gathered through an online reporting portal between November 2023 and February 2025 showed that the NHS had failed in its duty to ensure patient safety. The 600 reports of serious concerns gathered by the BMA have been submitted as evidence to the government commissioned Leng review.23 But the BMA said that the NHS must introduce urgent interim measures while the review is ongoing, including an immediate halt to recruitment of PAs and AAs, implementation of the BMA’s safe scope of practice and supervision guidance,4 and an immediate investigation into PAs and AAs being placed on doctor rotas.The BMA has now published...]]> <![CDATA[Jacqui Wise]]> 2025-04-03T08:01:15-07:00 info:doi/10.1136/bmj.r675 hwp:master-id:bmj;bmj.r675 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2025-04-03

News

389 apr03_11 http://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r649.short?rss=1 <![CDATA[The UK government’s tepid response to the House of Lords Food, Diet, and Obesity Committee report on the obesity crisis is concerning,1 particularly its refusal to exclude food companies from policy discussions in the face of such clear conflicts of interest. The rising burden of obesity related cardiovascular disease is especially concerning in light of The BMJ’s recent investigation into McDonald’s systematic efforts to circumvent local authorities’ health based planning decisions.2The similarity to previous tobacco industry interference is strong and well documented. The Obesity Health Alliance’s 2024 report shows the extent to which unhealthy food industries use strategies identical to those used by the tobacco industries in the past to resist public health action.3 In the same manner that tobacco industries have said that their products can be part of a healthy lifestyle, McDonald’s says that its drive-throughs promote physical activity and healthy eating. This commercial influence is particularly concerning...]]> <![CDATA[Chelsea C Omeni-Nzewuihe]]> 2025-04-03T01:51:02-07:00 info:doi/10.1136/bmj.r649 hwp:master-id:bmj;bmj.r649 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2025-04-03

Letters

Letter 389 apr03_1 http://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r660.short?rss=1 <![CDATA[This editorial by McCartney et al(BMJ 2025;388:r593; doi:10.1136/bmj.r593, 25 March) has been amended to clarify that the benefits review described in the sixth paragraph applied to recipients of employment and support allowance.]]> 2025-04-02T04:31:02-07:00 info:doi/10.1136/bmj.r660 hwp:master-id:bmj;bmj.r660 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2025-04-02

Corrections

Correction 389 apr02_10 http://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r632.short?rss=1 <![CDATA[The need for shared decision making and informed consent in gynaecology is not new.1 When the Supreme Court enshrined it in law in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board,2 it was not doing anything revolutionary; these concepts were already part of General Medical Council guidance.3 But practical implementation was, and is, problematic.Good communication with a sympathetic and empathic listener is crucial for patients to feel safe. Safety is so fundamental to compassionate healthcare that it beggars belief that women frequently leave their gynaecology appointments feeling distressed, violated, or traumatised. Once a woman feels unsafe, once trust is lost, she is unlikely to return.Despite concerns about invasive gynaecological procedures being expressed over many years, progress is glacially slow, a fact emphasised by the recent report of the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee4 and the UK government’s response.5 The gaslighting of women in gynaecological settings is commonplace; severely painful, invasive procedures,...]]> <![CDATA[Valerie E Humphreys]]> 2025-04-02T04:26:00-07:00 info:doi/10.1136/bmj.r632 hwp:master-id:bmj;bmj.r632 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2025-04-02

Letters

Letter 389 apr02_9 http://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r662.short?rss=1 <![CDATA[The United Nations has called for “justice and answers” after the bodies of eight Palestinian medics, six first responders, and one UN staff member—still in their uniforms and gloves—were recovered from a mass grave in southern Gaza after an attack by Israeli forces.1The UN said that the “clearly identified” humanitarian workers had been dispatched to collect injured people on 23 March in the Rafah area and had been travelling in five ambulances, a fire truck, and a clearly marked UN vehicle. They then “came under fire from Israeli forces who were advancing in the area,” after which their teams lost contact with them.On 31 March the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, posted on the social media platform X,2 “15 emergency and aid workers in Gaza were found buried by their wrecked and well-marked vehicles . . . They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives.”The Israel...]]> <![CDATA[Elisabeth Mahase]]> 2025-04-02T04:20:57-07:00 info:doi/10.1136/bmj.r662 hwp:master-id:bmj;bmj.r662 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2025-04-02

News

389 apr02_8 http://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r650.short?rss=1 <![CDATA[My husband lives with a spinal cord injury. Hospital admission can be traumatic when I’m excluded despite being his carer.1 I’m privy to information about his care that can’t be gleaned in a single handover with clinicians. I’ve felt unwelcome during the admission process, and healthcare staff haven’t treated me as an expert partner in care. Transitions involve patients and families moving between different clinical contexts—but too often their experiences and expertise are lost or undermined in the process.Problems with admissions and transition are seen across care settings and patient groups. Al Aynsley-Green, the first national clinical director for children in government, has expressed his concerns about patients receiving chaotic care and scant communication, which is often inappropriate for their age group or condition. He tells of a young woman with a complex health condition being cared for in a cramped overflow hospital bay alongside older people with dementia and...]]> <![CDATA[Helen Cowan]]> 2025-04-02T04:21:12-07:00 info:doi/10.1136/bmj.r650 hwp:master-id:bmj;bmj.r650 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd <![CDATA[Geriatric medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, UK]]> 2025-04-02

Opinion

389 apr02_7