BMA council member speaks out about unnecessary medical interventions Deputy chair of the BMA council Dr Kailash Chand has identified a recent trend within healthcare for medicalisation, which he identifies as patients seeking medical treatment for lifestyle problems. Key signs of medicalisation include the increasing use of medicines and hospital tests, rising hospitalisation rates, more … [Read more…]
New directive said to create too rigid shift patterns The Department of Health is urging doctors to opt out of the European working time directive, which states that doctors cannot work longer than 48 hours per week. The health body says that the new EU scheme enforces too strict shift patterns, which has a detrimental … [Read more…]
BMA members offer their first hand advice when completing locum placements… “Consider a name badge so patients and staff know who you are and do not just refer to you as ‘The Locum’.” “If you have never used a particular computer system before, consider going in the day before you start and asking someone to … [Read more…]
Consultant prepared to give up unsociable hours veto for emergency care Hospital consultants could be giving up their veto on weekend working in a bid to support seven day service plans. Negotiations with NHS Employers and the British Medical Association could see consultants lose their veto to provide non-emergency care to patients on weekends and … [Read more…]
Expert warns that general practice suffering from ‘chronic under-funding” The British Medical Association is urging the government to act, after they have revealed that patients are having to wait up to two weeks for an appointment. With longer delays “becoming the norm” and one in 10 patients unable to be seen by a doctor, BMA GP leader Dr Chaand … [Read more…]
Are health policies just for show? A survey of almost 2,000 Brits has revealed that 73% of the public believe politicians are creating health policies to win votes in the upcoming electoral campaigns, with fears that is isn’t what is best for the NHS. Nearly three quarters of the adults surveyed by the British Medical … [Read more…]
General practice turning into “conveyor belt medicine” according to family doctors A proposal to charge patients in the UK for an appointment with their GP has been rejected at the British Medical Association’s GP conference in York. Despite the scheme being refused, there are still fears about the future of GP services, as delegates warned that services … [Read more…]