Doctors honoured in fight against Ebola
Two doctors who helped lead last year’s fight against Ebola have been recognised for services to medicine in the New Year Honours list.
Consultant in infectious diseases Michael Jacobs and consultant in critical care medicine Daniel Martin, who work at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, have received a knighthood and OBE respectively for their work in combating the West African Ebola epidemic.
Dr Martin helped to treat Ebola patients at the Royal Free’s high-level isolation unit, while Sir Michael led a team of medical specialists and helped to devise drug-based strategies to check the spread of the v...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Doctor held for 'misusing' social media
A Bahraini doctor arrested for his use of social media must be granted access to legal and medical support, urged the BMA.
Sa'eed Mothaher Habib al-Samahiji was arrested at his home in 'Issa town, around 15km south of the Manama (pictured), the capital, on 3 January for posting on Twitter.
Dr Sa’eed al-Samahiji told his family that he is being held for interrogation regarding a post about the execution of the prominent Saudi Shi’a cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by the Saudi Arabian Government, and for insulting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Twitter.
The doctor still suffers from injuries sustained during a ...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Detention guidance 'not fit for purpose'
Medical safeguards designed to protect people in detention should be replaced by the Government, says a report, which labels existing guidelines ‘not fit for purpose’.
Ministers should immediately look to replace rule 35, which concerns the medical treatment of vulnerable persons and victims of torture being held in detention in the UK, according to the Review into the Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons.
The Home Office-commissioned report echoes long-standing calls by the BMA for rules to be redrafted to meet the principles of the UN Istanbul Protocol on torture, according to its author former p...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Consultants call for contract clarity
Safeguards for unsocial hours and the timescale of a new contract for consultants were among the topics discussed in a BMA webchat this week.
BMA consultants committee negotiators Vish Sharma, (pictured above), and Phil de Warren-Penny took live questions on Monday night in an online session that attracted more than 800 doctors.
In December last year, the final face-to-face meeting took place between the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health over a proposed new contract for consultants in England and Northern Ireland.
However, discussions are ongoing and the BMA is waiting for a final offer from the Government. ...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Concern for patients in custody after U-turn
Vulnerable patients could be put at risk after the Government reversed its plans to make the NHS responsible for commissioning healthcare for people in police custody.
BMA council chair Mark Porter has written to home secretary Theresa May to express his concern at the U-turn and request further clarity on the reasons for the change.
‘The BMA is extremely disappointed by this decision, especially given its close proximity to the intended date of transfer and the amount of positive work achieved by those involved to date,’ Dr Porter writes.
‘Doctors question the justification for such a U-turn on policy an...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Commissioning balance faces shift
Health providers in Kent may increasingly take a role in commissioning services, a meeting on healthcare devolution organised by the BMA has heard.
Recent changes ushered in by the 5YFV (NHS Five Year Forward View) could see CCGs (clinical commissioning groups) being diminished within the county, drastically reshaping the existing purchaser-provider split.
What is the Future for Health and Social Care in Kent and Medway? on 14 January sought to explore changes in health and social care services being delivered in the county.
Speaking at the event, Kent County Council cabinet member for education and health reform Ro...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Call for upfront GP funding
General practice needs a funding boost now rather than in years to come, the BMA warned in response to a Government pledge of new measures for the profession.
BMA GPs committee chair Chaand Nagpaul issued the warning this week after health secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured) revealed that he would be consulting with the BMA and the Royal College of GPs on issues such as bureaucracy, inspections and funding.
Dr Nagpaul said that concrete decisions needed to be made sooner rather than later if the health secretary was to make good on his promise to maintain general practice as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Call for BMA poster competition entries
Time is running out for doctors to enter a poster competition to celebrate their voluntary work.
Doctors have until 15 January to submit their entries to the BMA poster competition, which aims to highlight the benefits of volunteering to the medical profession and healthcare at home and abroad.
BMA representative body chair Ian Wilson said: ‘This competition showcases some of the tremendous and altruistic work of doctors.
'By sharing experiences, we hope to inspire those considering volunteer work to take the next step.’
Enter the competition
The story so far
Poster competition celebrates d...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
BMA welcomes trade agreement decision
Public healthcare services should be excluded from an international trade agreement, an influential EP (European Parliament) committee has recommended.
The vote by the EP’s INTA (international trade) committee supports the BMA view on the potential risks to the NHS posed by such agreements.
MEPs said that ‘clear and explicit exclusions’ are required to ensure that public healthcare and other sensitive sectors should be outside of the scope of the TiSA (trade in services agreement).
TiSA is one of several trade agreements on which the EU is negotiating, and is an international treaty between 23 memb...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Bid to protect children from alcohol advertising
The BMA in Scotland and other campaigners are calling on politicians to pledge action to protect children from alcohol advertising.
In the run up to May’s Scottish Parliament election, the association wants politicians from all parties to commit to giving greater priority to protecting children from the impact of marketing by the alcohol industry.
BMA Scotland council chair Peter Bennie said: ‘The presence of alcohol branding is currently ever present in the lives of children in Scotland.
'There can be few children in Scotland who are not exposed to some form of alcohol advertising or branding on an alm...
Source: BMA News - February 26, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
EU referendum: BMA plans briefing
Doctors and medical students can inform themselves of the potentially huge implications of the EU referendum on the UK and medical profession via a BMA document.
The BMA will be releasing a briefing for members on the ‘momentous’ issue of the UK’s future membership of the EU, following the announcement at the weekend that a referendum will take place on 23 June.
It followed days of negotiation by prime minister David Cameron in Brussels to agree a deal giving the UK 'special status’ within the 28-member state EU.
In the document on the referendum, which will be published shortly, BMA council ...
Source: BMA News - February 25, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Explain seven-day NHS funding, says BMA
The Government must explain how it will fund plans for an expansion in seven-day services and stop misleading the public over weekend deaths, the BMA has warned.
The call came after David Cameron was asked by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during prime ministers questions yesterday whether he would publish the Department of Health’s analysis of the costs of seven-day services.
Mr Corbyn also asked the prime minister whether he and health secretary Jeremy Hunt had been ‘rash and misleading’ in basing their case for seven-day services on claims that there are 6,000 excess weekend deaths within the NHS...
Source: BMA News - February 25, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Next step for sugar tax and smoking ban
A ban on smoking in cars when children are present and a consultation on a sugary drinks tax in Northern Ireland have moved a step closer.
The BMA has welcomed the progress that came with an Assembly vote in favour of two amendments to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
Commenting on the amendment that would lead to a consultation on a sugar tax levy, BMA NI public health forum chair Paul Darragh said: ‘This is good news as doctors are increasingly concerned about the impact of poor diet on patients' health — which is not only a significant cause of ill health and premature death, but a consider...
Source: BMA News - February 24, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Junior doctors: fight against imposition begins
The BMA is set to launch a judicial review into the Government’s decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors in England, claiming it failed to follow due process. It has also announced new dates for industrial action.
The judicial review is being sought because of the apparent failure of health secretary Jeremy Hunt to undertake an EIA (equality impact assessment) prior to its decision to force new terms and conditions on junior doctors in August.
BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said: 'This is yet another example of the incompetence which the Government has demonstrated throughout ...
Source: BMA News - February 23, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
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Read more about the junior doctor contract (Source: BMA News)
Source: BMA News - February 19, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
