About us
As a healthcare knowledge provider, we share knowledge and expertise to improve health outcomes
Our story
Nearly 200 years of turning knowledge into better health
Our story began in 1840 with the publication of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal, founded to advance medicine and share knowledge. Nearly two centuries later, BMJ Group has grown into a global healthcare knowledge provider, connecting research, education, and clinical expertise to improve health outcomes worldwide.
Throughout our history, we have helped shape medicine and public health. Our journals published early work on antiseptic surgery by Joseph Lister, the world’s first centrally randomised controlled trial in 1948, and Richard Doll’s landmark research linking smoking to lung cancer in the 1950s. In 1957, The BMJ stopped accepting cigarette advertising, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to public health.
We have also challenged conventions in medical publishing. In 1995, The BMJ became the first major medical journal to launch a website. We helped pioneer open peer review, championed greater transparency in clinical trial data, and put patients at the centre of research and healthcare decisions.
That spirit of innovation continues today. Alongside The BMJ and our portfolio of specialist journals, we provide trusted clinical decision support, professional education, and digital tools that help healthcare professionals put evidence into practice.
Our influence reaches far beyond publication. In 2025, research published in our journals was cited nearly 5,000 times in new and updated clinical guidelines and health policy documents, placing us among the world’s top 10 academic publishers for policy and guideline influence.
We work to make trusted evidence more accessible by supporting researchers in low and lower-middle-income countries. We also do what we can to protect the integrity of scientific research. Through open access, responsible innovation, and international partnerships, we are helping to build a more equitable and reliable evidence base.
Ranked 10th worldwide
among academic publishers for total citations in clinical guidelines and health policy documents.
500 staff across four global regions
serving an international audience, with offices in the UK, North America, India and China.
A subsidiary of the British Medical Association
with full editorial independence
Nearly 100,000 submissions in the past year
involving almost 483,000 authors and more than 37,500 peer reviewers.
Publisher of The BMJ
and more than 80 other specialty titles
One constant purpose:
to improve health outcomes worldwide
Our history
1840
The Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal established
The same year the Uniform Penny Post was introduced. The journal was sent to all members of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, forerunner of the British Medical Association (the BMA). In the modern day, it continues to be sent weekly to BMA members.
Those first issues of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal were far more ambitious than a simple society newsletter: they helped shape the way modern medical publishing works.
- Clinical case reports were the backbone. Issues were filled with surgical techniques, obstetric case notes, and treatment experiments — an early form of evidence sharing that’s now a cornerstone of journals like The BMJ
- Public health already took centre stage. Articles debated cholera outbreaks, typhus control, and the need for improved sanitation, all decades before germ theory was formalised. These debates foreshadowed later reforms chronicled in The BMJ’s history of public health
- Professional identity was still forming. Editorials pushed for medical licensing, ethical standards, and educational reform, laying groundwork for what became the British Medical Association
- Correspondence pages were lively. Letters often challenged published claims or offered rival treatments, functioning as a primitive form of peer review
- Social commentary was present. Articles linked poverty, industrial working conditions, and disease, which were an early recognition of the social determinants of health
Today, the British Medical Journal, formally known as The BMJ, is consistently ranked among the top five general medical journals worldwide, recognised for its influence on clinical practice, research integrity, and global health reform.
1847
James Simpson reports the discovery of chloroform in The BMJ journal
James Young Simpson first used chloroform as an anaesthetic in November 1847 in Edinburgh. He and his assistants famously tested it on themselves before using it in midwifery.
His first report on chloroform’s effects was published shortly after, in late 1847, in the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal – the journal that would later become The BMJ.
Queen Victoria’s use of chloroform in childbirth came six years later, in April 1853, during the birth of Prince Leopold. Its successful use during the birth of Queen Victoria’s 8th child boosted its acceptance.
1865-71
BMJ campaigns against baby farming
Baby farming was a widespread but unregulated practice in Victorian Britain, where women took in infants for payment, often with little oversight or care. Many babies were neglected, starved, or killed, their deaths going unrecorded.
The BMJ’s editor, Ernest Hart, used the journal as a platform to expose this hidden trade through a series of investigations and editorials. His campaign revealed the scale of infant mortality and public indifference, prompting parliamentary debate.
These efforts helped drive major reforms, including the compulsory registration of all births, official recording of infant deaths, and licensing of baby minders, laying the groundwork for modern child protection laws.
1867-79
The BMJ publishes articles by Joseph Lister on antisepsis in surgery
When Joseph Lister introduced carbolic acid to sterilise hands, instruments, and wounds, postoperative deaths began to fall dramatically – from up to one in three patients to as few as one in ten.
In The BMJ, Lister published a series showing that only two of eleven patients with compound fractures had died, remarkable for the time.
While The Lancet questioned his antiseptic theory, The BMJ backed it, giving early support to what became one of medicine’s most transformative advances.
1879
T Spencer Wells describes his forceps in The BMJ
In The BMJ, surgeon Spencer Wells unveiled his new artery forceps, a simple but revolutionary tool that allowed surgeons to clamp bleeding vessels without needing an assistant.
He used his article not only to explain its practical advantages, but also to assert his priority over rival French designs.
The instrument became a cornerstone of modern surgical technique, still recognisable in operating theatres today.
1893
Early peer review at The BMJ
In 1893 Ernest Hart spoke at a meeting of the American Medical Editors Association and advocated a system of peer review. The BMJ editor was a lone pioneer in this respect and peer review was not widely used in medical journals until after the second world war.
1896
The BMJ publishes first x ray image made in Britain
After significant interest from the medical community this was followed up with a commissioned series on “the new photography,” including “probably the first human angiograms.” This series of review articles by Sidney Rowland aimed to investigate the practical uses and applications of the newly discovered X ray imaging.
References: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12187177/
1909
Publication of Secret Remedies
Proprietary medicines (patented or trademarked) were unregulated and often contained poisons, so in the 1900s The BMJ began revealing the composition, amounts, and costs of popular preparations such as Carter’s Little Liver Pills. It did much to raise public awareness of the issue.
1917
British Journal of Ophthalmology formed
The BJO is the oldest specialty journal published by BMJ Group.
When the British Journal of Ophthalmology (BJO) launched in 1917, eye medicine was still taking shape as a standalone specialty. BJO set out to change that — giving ophthalmologists a dedicated platform to publish discoveries, refine surgical techniques, and debate best practice for the first time.
Landmark research published in its pages helped to transform patient outcomes — from pioneering retinal detachment surgery and breakthroughs in corneal grafting to the first systematic classification of uveitis.
The two world wars brought a wave of devastating ocular injuries, and BJO became a vital forum for sharing new approaches to eye trauma care. That legacy of practical, evidence-based innovation continues today.
More than a century on, BJO remains one of the most cited ophthalmology journals worldwide, shaping clinical guidelines on everything from cataract surgery to gene therapy for inherited blindness — and standing as BMJ’s oldest and most influential specialty title
1926
Archives of Disease in Childhood (ADC) founded
Established as the BMA’s first specialty journal, ADC remains a leading title today. In 2024, its publications provided key evidence that informed the Cass Review, a landmark report on gender dysphoria.
1939–1947
Birth of the “Big Seven”
Heart, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Thorax, and the Journal of Clinical Pathology joined Archives of Disease in Childhood, British Journal of Ophthalmology, and Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, collectively known informally within BMJ and the wider research community as BMJ’s “Big Seven” specialty titles.
As leading journals, they help to define standards across key clinical fields.
1950
Doll and Bradford-Hill publish first report on smoking and lung cancer in The BMJ
Richard Doll and Austin Bradford-Hill followed it with a further report in 1952 and three reports of their study of doctors’ mortality in relation to their smoking habits, in 1954, 1956, and 1964. By 1960, The BMJ was urging control of cigarette consumption; it had stopped carrying advertisements for cigarettes in 1957.
1962
Declaration of Helsinki
The BMJ editor Hugh Clegg chaired the committee of the World Medical Association that produced the first draft of the Declaration of Helsinki (published in The BMJ). This work arose out of the revelations at the Nuremberg trials about the medical experiments of Nazi doctors.
The Declaration of Helsinki remains the cornerstone of research ethics guidelines internationally.
1995
Evidence based medicine gains popularity
In the early 1990s, evidence based medicine (EBM) emerged as a new approach to clinical decision making. The shift provoked backlash from some clinicians, but a 1995 BMJ editorial effectively addressed the criticisms and helped shift the conversation in its favour.
1995
The BMJ leads online
In 1898, the journal shifted from weekly to fortnightly, returning to weekly in 1929. It became BMJ in 1988 and The BMJ in 2014. In 1995, it was the first general medical journal to go online. In 2025, The BMJ returned to print fortnightly, continuing daily online.
2002
BMJ Group co-founds Hinari
Since 2002, BMJ Group has contributed to improving global health by participating in the WHO’s Research4Life Organisation’s Access to Research Initiative (HINARI). This programme grants free access to nearly 20,000 journals and e-books to health workers and researchers in more than 100 developing countries.
A recent study by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reveals that the Research4Life initiative has directly contributed to a significant increase in scientific output. In low and middle income countries, research production in health sciences has increased by up to 75%, and clinical trial activity has risen by up to 35%.
2004
BMJ Learning launched
For over 20 years, our popular education platform with interactive, accredited modules has supported nearly a million clinicians worldwide.
Evidence shows that general practitioners in Scotland preferentially and frequently use BMJ Learning for their continuing professional development (CPD), focusing on patient information, clinical questions, and evidence based, peer-reviewed materials.
The learning platform is also a cost-effective and time efficient way of educating healthcare professionals about clinical guidelines. Studies demonstrate its value in knowledge acquisition, its convenience compared to traditional methods, and its role in reducing carbon footprints, highlighting its alignment with modern healthcare needs and environmental consciousness.
For instance, high users of BMJ Learning can reduce their CPD footprint by 18.5 kg, according to research.
BMJ Learning doesn’t just stop at knowledge acquisition; it encourages doctors to put their learning into practice. Research reveals that healthcare professionals, after engaging with BMJ Learning, exhibit better adherence to guidelines and an increased implementation of best practices in patient care, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice.
For example, a study found that 88.6% of participants reported better implementation of NICE guidelines in practice after completing BMJ Learning modules.
2007
Climate and Health Council
The BMJ helped establish the Climate and Health Council to highlight the health impacts of climate change. This work later fed into creating the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, co-founded by The BMJ (2016). Today, BMJ Group advances sustainability as an organisation: we are a UN SDG Publishers Compact signatory, and a member of the STM and ALPSP UN SDG special interest group.
2009
BMJ Best Practice launched
This clinical decision support tool is built on the strongest available research. It draws on systematic reviews (studies that analyse and compare all the best evidence on a topic) to give clinicians clear, reliable guidance. This means every recommendation in BMJ Best Practice is grounded in trusted science, helping healthcare professionals make confident decisions at the point of care.
Backed by over 40 published studies, BMJ Best Practice is proven to drive quality improvements in primary, secondary and tertiary settings.
As patient needs become more complex, health professionals need evidence based support at the point of care. BMJ Best Practice equips clinicians with the tools to make informed, personalised decisions, helping to improve outcomes across every level of care. Its Comorbidities Manager is the only tool that offers tailored plans for patients with multiple conditions.
How working with BMJ Group is helping Cyprus translate evidence into everyday practice
BMJ Group is a trusted partner in Cyprus’s healthcare transformation, providing evidence-based tools, clinical expertise, and collaboration to drive lasting system change. At the centre is the National Centre for Clinical Evidence and Quality in Healthcare’s new digital platform, integrating BMJ Best Practice.
Our role extends beyond technology. As part of the national consortium, we are helping create 90 Cyprus-specific clinical tools, guidelines, pathways, and protocols. Drawing on international evidence and BMJ Best Practice, these resources are adapted to local needs, translated into Greek, and built into the platform.
Working with the NCCE, our experts helped map clinical priorities, design production processes, and train teams in the ADAPTE framework and peer review, ensuring every guideline meets international standards and supports frontline care.
“BMJ [Group]’s tools and events don’t just inform our thinking – they shape it.”
Professor George Samoutis
Chairman of the coordination committee of the National Centre for Clinical Evidence, Cyprus
2011
BMJ-TAG transforms care through evidence
Founded in 2011, the BMJ Technology Assessment Group (BMJ-TAG) supports NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) by delivering independent evaluations of new health technologies. They assess clinical and cost effectiveness evidence to help NICE decide which treatments should be recommended for use in the NHS (National Health Service).
Funded by NIHR (National Institute for Health Research), BMJ-TAG is one of the 11 centres of excellence for health technology assessment (HTA). They critically appraise company-submitted evidence, conduct their own analyses, and produce reports that guide the NICE Evaluation Committees.
Their work is focused on making sure NHS resources are used efficiently and patients gain timely access to effective treatments. Everything they do is grounded in methodological rigour, independence and a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes.
Cystic fibrosis medicines appraisal
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life limiting genetic condition affecting over 9,000 people in England. BMJ-TAG evaluated three breakthrough treatments—KaftrioⓇ, SymkeviⓇ, and OrkambiⓇ, which target the underlying cause of CF. Their analysis showed major potential benefits but very high costs. Following further BMJ-TAG research that informed NICE’s negotiations with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, all three drugs were ultimately approved for NHS use, offering new hope to patients.
“This is a fantastic moment for many people with cystic fibrosis and their families – ending uncertainty and helping to ensure that everyone who can benefit can access these vital medicines – now and in the future.”
David Ramsden
Chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust
2013
The Patient Revolution
The BMJ launched the initiative to embed patient and public partnerships across healthcare and research. Patients now act as peer reviewers, co-authors, and advisers, ensuring their voice shapes medical publishing. This pioneering work has established BMJ Group as a global leader in patient and public involvement.
2026
International Forum on Quality and Safety celebrates 30 years
Now the world’s largest conference of its kind, the International Forum brings together thousands of health professionals each year to share expertise, drive improvement, and shape safer, better health systems.
BMJ plays a big and important role when it comes to innovating in healthcare as a source of global knowledge. They are bringing people together. I really don’t know of any other organisation doing the kind of things BMJ does.”
Helen Bevan
Practitioner, thought leader and activist in large scale change in health and care
2040
The BMJ journal bicentenary
Two hundred years of shaping medicine and leading the debate to improve healthcare.
The BMJ can be many things to its diverse audiences: an international research journal, a member magazine, a think tank, an investigative campaigner, an educational resource, even a trusted and inspiring friend. Whatever The BMJ means to you, we invite you to share our mission and join us in working towards a healthier world for all.
Our group leadership team
Our board
Our values
Our values give us the focus and direction to bring about our vision for a healthier world by sharing knowledge and expertise to help health professionals improve healthcare outcomes.
Research that changed food safety advice across Europe
Research published in Archives of Disease in Childhood identified serious risks associated with glycerol-containing slush drinks for young children. The findings informed updated food safety advice in the UK and Ireland and assessments by European authorities.
Values demonstrated: Evidence based; patient centred
Helping to shape WHO and Unicef global guidance
Five systematic reviews published in BMJ Global Health provided the evidence base for WHO and Unicef’s first global guidelines on hand hygiene in community settings. The guidance helps governments strengthen infection prevention and improve public health.
Values demonstrated: Evidence based; transparent, open and trusted.
Bringing trusted evidence into the future of healthcare AI
Google Research selected BMJ Best Practice, alongside NICE guidance, as the two core clinical knowledge resources used to develop and evaluate 100 patient scenarios for its AMIE research. The collaboration demonstrates how trusted clinical knowledge can support responsible healthcare AI innovation.
Values demonstrated: Evidence based; transparent, open and trusted.
Our global presence
London UK
Chief Executive Officer
support@bmj.com
Mumbai
Managing Director, India
marketing.india@bmj.com
Sydney, Australia
Senior Marketing Manager
support@bmj.com
Latin America
Sales Manager Latin America & Caribbean
LatAmsupport.bmj.com
Europe
Clinical Sales Manager
support@bmj.com
Singapore
Sales Manager South East Asia
support@bmj.com
DACH, Scandinavia and MEA
Pauline Dilworth
Regional Head EMEA
support@bmj.com
Middle East and North Africa
Regional Head EMEA
support@bmj.com
Beijing
Managing Director
info.china@bmj.com
Delhi
Managing Director, India
marketing.india@bmj.com
New York
Sales Director: Academic & Research and Head of House, Americas
ussupport@bmj.com
Our equity, diversity and inclusion promise
At BMJ Group, we believe a thriving healthcare knowledge landscape is rooted in equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI).
These principles are not just buzzwords; they are essential to enhancing the integrity and relevance of our work, ensuring that our content is relevant for diverse audiences across the globe.
In a continuously evolving healthcare landscape, we recognise the vital role that journals can play in advocating for underrepresented groups in research, clinical practice, and scholarly publishing. By addressing systemic biases and fostering an environment of inclusivity, we are shaping a future where every voice is heard and valued.
Our EDI promise is woven into the fabric of our organisation. We have initiated practices that challenge the status quo, from actively opposing racism to eliminating barriers in publishing. We actively encourage those who work for us and with us to join our journey—one that champions diverse perspectives and promotes a healthier, more equitable world for all.
Corporate responsibility and sustainability
At the heart of our operations lies a deep dedication to ethical practices, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. In various ways, we strive to create a sustainable future, contributing to the well-being of our communities and the planet, while ensuring the longevity and success of our business.
We are taking action
We actively reduce our environmental footprint, support diverse and inclusive communities, and uphold ethical business practices. Sustainability is embedded in everything we do, ensuring the latest medical knowledge is accessible while contributing to a healthier, more equitable future.
Our efforts are led by an employee based sustainability group, ensuring that the entire organisation is on board. Our products and services are created with people and planet in mind. We promote the exchange of medical research and use low-environmental impact tools and designs wherever possible.
Reducing the environmental impact of our journals
From The BMJ to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Gut, Heart, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, and Thorax, we are minimising the environmental impact of all our print journals through responsible paper sourcing and digital innovation.
Every print issue is produced on paper that can be traced back to sustainably managed forests. The BMJ is printed on paper made from timber industry by-products—waste left over from Sweden’s environmentally friendly home-building sector, where wood is used as a sustainable alternative to concrete and cement.
Our artificial intelligence principles across all business areas
At BMJ Group, our approach to using artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly, ethically, sustainably, and safely is guided by four principles: transparency and accountability, integrity and quality control, privacy and data security, and collaboration and inclusivity.
As AI technology rapidly evolves, we will adapt our approach, procedures, and governance to meet new challenges with the most sustainable options and industry best practices.
Transparency and accountability
Transparency is central to our workflows, including the use of AI. All AI-generated content must be disclosed, with identifiable steps and retrievable data for validation and accountability. We hold BMJ Group staff accountable for verifying and overseeing AI outputs, always prioritising human review and responsibility in all workflows involving AI.
Integrity and quality control
Our quality control standards ensure AI enhances, not replaces, the processes behind delivering trusted healthcare information. Dedicated experts verify all AI-driven contributions to meet evidence-based standards, prioritising patient safety and clinical accuracy in all AI applications.
Privacy and data security
We strictly adhere to data security policies to protect internal and customer information. Our use of AI is always responsible, adhering to data protection law.
Collaboration and inclusivity
Promoting a collaborative approach to AI development and usage is embedded within BMJ Group’s culture. As strong advocates of a world that supports equity, diversity and inclusiveness, diverse perspectives are always considered to meet all communities’ and stakeholders’ needs equitably.
