Large social and economic inequalities persist among UK doctors

Professional background linked to 6-fold greater likelihood of becoming a doctor than working class background Greater efforts needed to boost social mobility of medical school applicants, say researchers Large social and economic inequalities persist among UK doctors, with those from a professional background 6 times more likely to become a ...

2025-09-10T10:05:20+00:0010 September 2025|BMJ Open, Press release|

Patients still view doctor’s white coat as symbol of professionalism and trust

But women doctors in this attire are often misidentified as nurses or medical assistants And preferences for doctors’ dress strongly influenced by clinical context/medical specialty  Patients are still more likely to trust doctors and consider them more professional when they wear white coats, although women doctors in this attire are ...

2025-08-14T10:48:51+00:0014 August 2025|BMJ Open, Press release|

Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor

But allowing them to care for patients with undiagnosed conditions under indirect supervision may risk patients’ safety, finds a rapid review Physician associates provide safe and effective care when they work under the direct supervision of doctors and care for patients who have already been diagnosed, or when they undertake ...

2025-07-04T09:14:32+00:004 July 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

Mental health disorders, malaria, and heart disease most affected by covid pandemic

Findings provide a roadmap to help strengthen health systems for future crises Disrupted care during the covid-19 pandemic led to sharp increases in other non-covid causes of illness and death, particularly mental health disorders, malaria in young children, and stroke and heart disease in older adults, finds a study published ...

2025-07-03T11:10:04+00:003 July 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

GP performance pay fails to drive lasting changes in quality of care

Financial incentives alone are no magic bullet to improve quality, say researchers Introducing performance related pay for UK general practices initially improved quality of care, but did not seem to provide lasting improvements beyond that expected by previous trends, finds a study published by The BMJ today. And initial gains in quality ...

2025-06-26T09:24:42+00:0026 June 2025|Press release, The BMJ|
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