David Blane

Dr Joseph Millum reflects on “what are values?” And introduces us to “thick concepts”, which are both evaluative (e.g. good, bad, right, wrong) and descriptive.

Given what we know about the inadequacies & limitations of medical research… I would argue that “evidence-based” is also a “thick concept?

Prof Kevin Orr (research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/persons/k...) on the “Ghosts in the healthcare machine” - fantastic overview of the “ghosts” of the past, present, and future… the politics of control and accountability, inequality, populism, and the role of the private sector

Prof Frank Sullivan, giant of academic general practice in Scotland, talks us through a “typical” GP surgery (if such a thing exists!), highlighting Challenges, Choices, and Values inherent in each consultation…
- Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose as core drivers of professional practice

Scotland’s first ever Patient Safety Commissioner, Karen Titchener, now sets out her plans for the role (started last month!) - www.parliament.scot/about/news/n...

Fantastic scene-setting and call to arms from @mgtmccartney.bsky.social, with numerous examples of (mostly well-intentioned) initiatives that may cause more harm than good

@mgtmccartney.bsky.social launching the Centre for Evidence and Values in Healthcare @uniofstandrews.bsky.social - I’m expecting mighty oaks to grow from these acorns 🤞

YouTube video by Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny The unhealthy side of sport - conversation with Dr Robin Ireland

On a recent visit to Poland @robinireland.bsky.social
recorded a conversation on the impact of sport on public health, and the challenges that the commercialisation and commodification of sport present.

🎧 youtu.be/qGAYdmNW2cI?...

@uofgsocsci.bsky.social

episode artwork of Sir Gregor Smith, Kezia Dugdale, Nicola McEwen, David Blane and Petra Meier.

🎧 New season of Spotlight kicks off with a deep dive into Scotland’s health future.

With the Chief Medical Officer on prevention, Realistic Medicine & the long-term challenges facing the NHS.

Alongside UofG experts @pmeierprof.bsky.social & @dnblane.bsky.social

🔗 Tune in: www.uofgspotlight.com

Mogens Vestergaard outlines the major health system reforms in Denmark - incl. shifting resources from secondary to primary care.

Current % of health service spend in Denmark is 8% (Scotland is approx 6.5%) - aim to increase to 13% by 2035.

Employment and deployment of additional staff roles in general practice: a realist evaluation of what works for whom, how, and why Background The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) was introduced in England in 2019 to alleviate workforce pressures in general practice by funding additional staff such as clinical pharmaci...

Fantastic presentation by @kathcheckland.bsky.social on recent developments in primary care in England, including widening skill mix (e.g. ARRS) - bjgp.org/content/75/7...

Primary care transformation in Scotland: a qualitative evaluation of the views of patients Background The new Scottish GP contract introduced in April 2018 aims to improve quality of care through expansion of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to enable GPs to spend more time as expert medica...

Now Eddie Donaghy giving headline findings from this qualitative work - bjgp.org/content/74/7...

General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract | Audit Scotland A Scottish Government agreement with GPs to improve general practice has failed to deliver on several of its commitments

Leigh Johnston from @auditscotland.bsky.social summarising this report - audit.scot/publications...

Understanding primary care transformation and implications for ageing populations and health inequalities: a systematic scoping review of new models of primary health care in OECD countries and China ... Countries identified in this review have used a range of approaches to PCT with marked heterogeneity in methods of evaluation and mixed findings on impacts. Only a minority of studies described the im...

Stewart Mercer opens with a whistlestop overview of work on “primary care transformation” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37620865/

On my way to Edinburgh for a meeting to discuss recommendations from this report, as well as other recent work on new models of primary care by Stewart Mercer and team.

Great to have @kathcheckland.bsky.social, John Ford and Mogens Vestergaard joining us.

Still in the room: When AI Knows the answers, what will we bring? The future doctor may be less the sole expert and more a kind of relational anchor—someone grounded in science but unshaken by challenge, open to ideas from patient, family, colleague, or algorithm.

"The future doctor may be less the sole expert and more a kind of relational anchor... open to ideas from patient, family, colleague, or algorithm. We bring discernment, perspective, humanity. We’re invested." @deependgp.bsky.social
bjgplife.com/still-in-the...

EFPC Gains Special Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC The UN Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development decided to grant special consultative status to the EFPC for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Consulta...

🚨 Big news! The EFPC has been granted special consultative status with @UN_ECOSOC 🎉

🔗 Learn more: euprimarycare.org/2025/08/22/e...

Doctors to shape medical workforce reforms Doctors are being invited to help shape NHS staffing reforms, as the Scottish government commits to two months of engagement as part of its Future Medical Workforce project. Scotland’s resident doctor...

www.healthandcare.scot/stories/4235...

Latest Deep End International Bulletin (no. 13), expertly curated by Prof Graham Watt, now online - www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_...

A photo of the panel, L-R Dr Carey Lunan, Tejesh Mistry, David Blane, Leane McBride.

How do we 'create health'?💡

Dr @dnblane.bsky.social leads this afternoon's first panel w/ Dr Carey Lunan of @deependgp.bsky.social, @tejeshm.bsky.social of @vhscotland.bsky.social, and Leanne McBride of Chance 2 Change on the role of primary care and voluntary sector in healthy communities 💬

graphic: The Scottish Government's Plan for General Practice Under Scrutiny

Read Dr @dnblane.bsky.social's Quick Insight on the Programme for Government📝

Dr Blane, @deependgp.bsky.social, looks at the FM's health pledges, focusing on new GP appointment plans and growing concerns around access and investment in general practice.

🔗 Read more: www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...

Proud to have supported this letter to @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social

The UK (& Ireland) need a conflict of interest disclosure system detailing the payments that pharmaceutical & medical device companies make to healthcare professionals, healthcare organisations and patient organisations

Dispute over sentencing guidelines is warning for England’s public health community Faced with a row over guidance to improve consistency on sentencing by the courts, the British government chose a populist narrative. This sends a worrying message to public health professionals promo...

9/ The full paper can be read here: www.bmj.com/content/389/...

Health Care Bridges — Pathways toward Trust in Gaza and Beyond | NEJM Even as hospitals in Gaza were turned into battlefields, some Palestinian–Israeli health care programs bridged the deep divides and continued to build trust between the populations in conflict.

#HealthCare Bridges — Pathways toward #Trust in Gaza and Beyond www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... -positive piece in grim times. "..findings suggest that cross-national #health care programs can overcome formal & informal segregation, establish connections, & help build trust between groups in conflict."

The outrage of austerity — CHEX In this blog, David Walsh and Gerry McCartney discuss the disastrous effects that austerity policies have had on life expectancy - exacerbating health inequalities and causing many people in our most ...

Austerity kills.

“For society’s sake, we need to reverse these cuts, not add more. We need to use the power within our communities – our collective voice – to demand that austerity policies are reversed.”

@gerrymccartney1.bsky.social
@deependgp.bsky.social

www.chex.org.uk/latest/artic...

Special thanks to @dnblane.bsky.social, @dremekadumbili.bsky.social and @maizie333.bsky.social with episodes ranging from Deep End GPs in the south side of Glasgow, to alcohol marketing in Nigeria, to industry-sponsored gambling, alcohol fossil fuel and firearm education materials in schools.

This is why @kityates.bsky.social post is so relevant today

kityates.substack.com/p/science-is...

and why my dystopian piece is perfectly plausible.

christinapagel.substack.com/p/a-dystopia...

People help people.

A hero has passed.

🧐 Curious about the #ClimateResearchNet? Our interactive network map is here!

🔍 See which research themes connect our different projects!
🌐 Start exploring now: bit.ly/climaterese...

Thanks to @eerie-project.bsky.social for this cool map!

Sharing this short (10mins) survey by colleagues working to improve care for people with liver disease.

📢 Clinicians (doctors and nurses) in primary and secondary care, in the UK.

🏅Prize draw to win one of five £75 High Street shopping vouchers.

app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/dundee/adi...

My partner is a community link worker, they do absolutely brilliant work for people 👍🏻