We need to understand how global market forces undermine healthcare

We need to understand how global market forces undermine healthcare

Author: The BMJ August 7, 2026 Duration: 43:16
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

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: 50

Medicine and Science from The BMJ
Podcast Episodes
How the internet hijacked our health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:36
Deborah Cohen's new book "How the internet hijacked our health" explores the profound impact of the internet on our wellbeing. In this conversation with BMJ Editor, Kamran Abbasi, they discuss the ways in which online in…
GLP-1 weight regain and doctors forced out of Gaza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:42
The class of GLP-1 agonist drugs including Ozempic gained a wide reputation for weight loss in 2025. However, it's well established that weight regain is a common result after people stop their doses. We report on new re…
Christmas 2025 - neologisms, longevity and unexpected research [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:51
It’s time for 2025’s festive fun! Practicing medicine can be a very visceral experience - and the English language can’t always adequately capture the sights, sounds, smells. So Matt Morgan, intensivist and BMJ columnist…
The shadow use of Gen AI in the consultation room [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:48
In this episode, we hear how Generative AI is making it into the consultation room - but not through NHS endorsed routes - surveys suggest that ⅔ of doctors are using AI, for backoffice tasks - but also increasingly for…
ADHD therapies, and the NHS gig economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:40
There is an enormous amount of research on treatment for ADHD - pharmaceutical and otherwise. But not all of those trials, or meta-analyses, are of high quality; and not many compare the whole literature. Now a new umbre…
The Covid Inquiry - special episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:04
"Damning” and “unforgivable failures” is how some papers headlines reacted to criticism of former UK prime minister Boris Johnson in the second of 10 reports from the UK Covid Inquiry. Under pressure, in 2001 Boris Johns…