Medicine and Science from The BMJ

The BMJ published a negative result this week. A new trial focuses on a peer support intervention for improving breastfeeding rates in the UK, but finds no major improvement. We hear from the lead author who tells us what went wrong, and the insights that can still be drawn from apparent ‘failures’. Next we turn our eyes to shisha smoking in the UK. With shisha or “hookah” cafes on the rise, we explore the smoking habit in more detail. What are the effects on health? And why are UK laws poor at regulating the practice? Kate Jolly is professor of public health and primary care at the University of Birmingham. Zainab Hussain is a UK-based freelance journalist writing on behalf of The BMJ. Links: Peer support intervention (ABA-feed) to improve breastfeeding: UK based, multicentre, parallel group, randomised controlled trial Shisha tobacco’s availability is rising. Why does UK smoking policy fail to tackle it?

The UK Covid Inquiry released Module Three of its findings this month. It lays out in startling detail the lived experiences of NHS staff and patients who bore through the pandemic. In the report’s words: ‘healthcare systems coped with the pandemic, but only just’. The BMJ speaks to Kevin Fong, anaesthetist lead for major incidence planning at UCL hospitals, to break down Module Three’s most important takeaways. And, invasive surgical cosmetic procedures are on the rise in the UK, with regulation patchy at best. From botox and fillers, to tummy tucks and breast surgeries, we hear about the gaps in patient protections that leave space for harm. Kevin Fong is a consultant anaesthetist, broadcaster, and anaesthetist lead for major incidence planning at UCL hospitals. Danielle Griffiths is an author and lecturer at the University of Liverpool’s School of Law. Alexandra Mullock is an author and senior lecturer in medical law at the University of Manchester. UK Covid Inquiry Module Three Report Regulating invasive cosmetic procedures to reduce harm | The BMJ

The Gulf states are not large producers of pharmaceuticals or healthcare products - but the oil they supply, and the transport infrastructure they have built, are key components in a worldwide logistical network that underpin all of the pharmaceutical and other medical consumables we use. From critical NHS shortages like Bone Cement for orthopedic surgery, to persistent IV fluid supply crises plaguing Australian hospitals, we discuss how the conflict in Iran will affect fragile healthcare logistics. Joining us today are Mark Dayan, Brexit programme lead at the Nuffield Trust) on NHS procurement problems Anny Huang, doctor and journalist in Brisbane,on the three-year IV fluid shortages in Australia. Prashant Yadav a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, on the potential global effects of the Iranian conflict on international supply chains. Reading list Global bone cement shortage: NHS could cancel or delay knee and hip operations How Australia survived a sudden shortage of IV fluids Where the Iran War Could Disrupt Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

The lure of health influencers and AI chat bots is strong. More and more people are placing trust in them to answer their health problems, misplaced trust - as we know these AIs can misinform. At the same time, people are struggling to access the NHS, and when they do doctors have little time or the right tools to unpick complicated science, and challenge misunderstandings. So in this roundtable, we’re asking, are we in danger of the NHS making the problem of misinformation worse, and what can we do to combat that. Joining Kamran Abbasi, the BMJ’s editor in chief are: Deborah Cohen: Freelance Journalist; Senior Visiting Fellow at LSE Health Kamila Hawthorne: Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing Nnena Osuji: Consultant haematologist and CEO of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust Chapters [00:00] The rise of health influencers [03:55] Patient satisfaction and the NHS [05:58] The "Infodemic" and clinical impact [11:04] Digital literacy and health inequalities [16:40] Questions from the audience Reading list: Cohen D. Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health. Oneworld Publications; 2026. Satisfaction with NHS hits record low, but public still back founding principles - The BMJ

In this episode, Dr Katie Bramall, Chair of the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee, joins the podcast to discuss her concerns surrounding the new GP contract imposed by the UK government. GP contract overhaul: What's included and how has it been received? Helen Salisbury: Another imposed GP contract

As public health officials warn about rising emissions from urban wood burning, a BMJ investigation finds that just under a third of UK councils in high use areas have faced pressure from the stove industry to tone down or withdraw campaigns. Almost a third of UK children live in poverty. Leading expert Michael Marmot weighs in on the UK’s "steepest rise" in child poverty among OECD countries and why local government "Marmot Cities" like Coventry and Manchester are taking the lead where national policy falls short. And, a new BMJ collection has just been published on child mental health in conflict zones. 1 in 5 children globally live in conflict zones, creating a staggering mental health toll. We hear about community-led interventions. Reading list: The growing threat of domestic wood burning stoves—and industry’s legal attempts to shut down clean air campaigns Michael Marmot: Labour has reneged on its child poverty promises Child mental health in conflict settings

In this episode, we investigate the alarming resurgence of measles across North America and the UK. While cases are falling across much of Europe and Asia, North America is seeing explosive outbreaks fueled by vaccine hesitancy and political shifts. We break down the 2026 crisis: Why London is the epicenter and how the UK lost its "Measles Elimination Status". An in-depth look at outbreaks in Ontario, Alberta, Texas, and Mexico. How returning travelers—not migrants—are actually driving the spread. The impact of "shared clinical decision-making" and current US health leadership on vaccine access. Kamran Abbasi is joined by: Angela Rasmussen - Virologist, University of Saskatchewan. Azeem Majeed - Professor of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London.

In this week’s episode, we challenge long-held medical narratives, starting with how the healthcare system manages life after a cancer diagnosis. While medical advancements mean more people are surviving cancer than ever before, many patients report a "cliff-edge" experience where coordinated care effectively vanishes once primary treatment ends. We are joined by Dr. Rosalind Adam, an Academic GP at the University of Aberdeen, who argues that it is time to stop viewing cancer as a discrete, one-off episode and instead integrate it into routine chronic disease management. Next, we dive into a landmark study from Sweden that is overturning the conventional notion of autism as a predominantly male condition. Historically, autism has been cited as having a 4:1 male-to-female ratio, but new data suggests this gap may be a byproduct of timing rather than biology. We speak with Dr. Caroline Fyfe, a medical epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Natasha Marrus, a child psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis. They discuss their analysis of 2.7 million individuals, which revealed a significant female catch-up during adolescence, showing that by age 20, the diagnosis ratio approaches 1:1. The team explores why girls are so often missed in childhood and what this shift means for the future of sex-sensitive diagnostic practices. Reading List For more details on the research discussed in this episode, you can access the full papers on bmj.com: Cancer is a chronic disease: why don’t we treat it as one? Adam R, Hogg DR, Ritchie LD, Nekhlyudov L. BMJ 2026;392:e086624. Time trends in the male to female ratio for autism incidence: population based, prospectively collected, birth cohort study. Fyfe C, et al. BMJ 2026;392:e084164. Please subscribe to the Medicine & Science podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest episodes. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.