The data on physician associates in the UK, and speaking up in the NHS

The data on physician associates in the UK, and speaking up in the NHS

Author: The BMJ March 12, 2025 Duration: 47:02
We've just published a new rapid review on the safety and efficacy of physician and anaesthetic associates in the UK, which was commissioned to support the ongoing Leng review of these new roles in the NHS. Trish Greenhalgh, professor of primary care at the University of Oxford, joins us to discuss the data she found. Habib Naqvi is director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and is holding up a mirror to the NHS on it's support for ethnic minority patients and doctors - he joins us to talk about the work they've done, and why Reform UK's manifesto pledge to disband the Observatory is a matter of pride.  Finally, our annual trip to the Nuffield Summit is not complete without a roundtable, this year we asked the question "What is stopping staff from speaking up?". Our panellists raised the usual issues of hierarchy and psychological safety, but also how the lack of positive change from senior leadership has habituated people into thinking "why bother". Our panel; Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the General Practice Committee of the BMAJugdeep Dhesi, consultant in geriatric medicine at Guys and St Thomas HopsitalHenrietta Hughes, the UK's patient safety commissionerThea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust    Reading list Physician associates and anaesthetic associates in UK: rapid systematic review of recent UK based research Together we can challenge the racism that persists in healthcare    

Produced by The BMJ, this weekly audio series delves into the pivotal research and urgent clinical debates shaping modern medicine. Each episode moves beyond the published page, bringing together the authors, critics, and practitioners directly involved to dissect a new study or a pressing health question. The conversation is rigorous and nuanced, designed for those who appreciate the complexity behind headlines. You’ll hear unscripted discussion about methodology, implications for practice, and the occasional healthy disagreement that drives science forward. This isn't just a summary of the latest findings; it's a critical appraisal in real time, offering listeners a front-row seat to the evolving discourse that defines evidence-based care. The Medicine and Science from The BMJ podcast serves as an essential audio companion for clinicians, academics, and anyone keen to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind medical news. It transforms the latest evidence from the journal into an accessible, thought-provoking dialogue, ensuring that busy professionals can stay deeply informed. Tune in for a direct, intelligent, and often surprising take on the science that matters most.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

Medicine and Science from The BMJ
Podcast Episodes
Planet centred care - How to talk about this stuff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:20
We’ve heard throughout the series from people who have a passion for sustainability, and have successfully made changes in their organisations to reduce the planetary impact of their work. In doing so, they will have rec…
Planet centred care - Why doing less can be hard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:46
One element of sustainable healthcare is simply reducing the amount of healthcare you’re doing by not doing the things that are of no value to patients. However, how do we do this in practice? And why is it often so hard…
Planet centred care - Sustainable healthcare is better for patients [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:06
Acting on climate change is often framed as having to give stuff up, to cost more money, to make sacrifices. Yet in healthcare we find the opposite can often be true: there are many actions we can take which reduce the c…
Planet centred care - Sustainable healthcare is good for staff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:12
Ooops! If you listened to episode 3 when it first came out you may have realised that the title didn't quite match the content. We've just updated the title and the show notes below, and stay tuned for when we'll be soon…
Talking overdiagnosis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:36
In this month's Talk Evidence, Helen and Juan are reporting from Preventing Overdiagnosis - the conference that raises issues of diagnostic accuracy, and asks if starting the process of medicalisation is always the right…
Planet centred care - Greening the gaze [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:10
Planet centred care is new podcast series for the BMJ exploring issues related to environmentally sustainable healthcare, aimed at all clinicians, and anyone working in healthcare, who want to make sure they can continue…
Planet centred care - It’s all about working together [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:37
Healthcare is a complex system, and if we want to make changes such as those needed for sustainable healthcare, we need to work across multiple teams, and make sure we hear everyone’s voice, including our patients’. In t…