What does Wes Streeting's exit mean for the NHS modernisation bill?

What does Wes Streeting's exit mean for the NHS modernisation bill?

Author: The BMJ May 22, 2026 Duration: 36:54
It has been a tumultuous time in UK health politics. UK Health Minister ,Wes Streeting, has freshly resigned. What does this mean for his newly introduced NHS Modernization Bill as it heads through Parliament? Together with Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy and Research at the Health Foundation, we unpack the bill's sweeping centralization of power, the abolition of NHS England, and the contentious role for US tech firm Palantir in the new NHS. And, we explore a major milestone for women's healthcare. A condition affecting an estimated 170 million women globally has officially been renamed from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). Rachel Morman, Chair of the PMOS charity Verity, joins us to explain why dropping "cysts" from the name is a vital step toward recognizing this as a complex, multi-system condition, and how this co-designed change will fundamentally reshape diagnosis, treatment, and future research. Further reading: Health Bill brings NHS management back into government PMOS: What's in a name? Everything PCOS name change to PMOS must be managed to avoid confusing patients, says expert

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
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…
Climate, “car spreading”, and conflict [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:12
It’s the BMJ’s annual climate issue - and in this episode, we’ll be hearing about more ways in which climate mitigation is good for health. Firstly, climate change is fuelling conflict, and exacerbating the impact it has…
Doctors against the far right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:11
Far right rallies have been held across the UK, culminating in a large parade in London where Elon Musk spoke. At the same time, politicians from across the political spectrum are following the talking points of far righ…