There were 46,265 knife crime offences in the 12 months to the end of March, up 6% from the previous year. The figures, which do not include Greater Manchester Police, were partly driven by a 7% rise in London. In this podcast, Prof Jennifer Shaw and Dr J S Bamrah discuss the causes of knife crime and what is being done in order to tackle it. You can read more about Prof Shaw’s research here: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/jennifer.j.shaw.html

Prevention of knife crime - a public health approach

The publication of the Greener NHS Report outlining how the NHS intends to be the first Net Zero health service and the BMA’s report looking at the same issue, presents us with an opportunity to discuss the intersection between climate change and health and how in a practical sense the Net Zero agenda can be met. Professor Dame Parveen Kumar is joined by Nick Watt, NHS Chief Sustainability Officer, to discuss the broad issue of climate change and how the public can help tackle it.

Achieving net zero in the health service

The transcript for this recording can be found at: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/5958/transcript-about-the-bma-peer-support-service.pdf

About the BMA peer support service

The transcript for this recording can be found at: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/5959/transcript-what-is-your-role-as-a-peer-supporter.pdf

What’s Your Role As A Peer Supporter

The transcript for this recording can be found at: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/5960/transcript-what-motivated-you-to-become-a-peer-supporter.pdf

What Motivated You To Become A Peer Supporter

The transcript for this recording can be found at: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/5961/transcript-what-types-of-calls-do-you-receive.pdf

What Type Of Calls Do You Receive

The transcript for this recording can be found here: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/5963/transcript-why-is-the-peer-support-service-important.pdf

Why Is The Peer Support Service Important

The transcript for this recording can be found here: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/5962/transcript-what-would-you-say-to-those-reluctant-to-call.pdf

What Would You Say To Those Reluctant To Call

JDC co-chairs Rob Laurenson and Vivek Trivedi

SASC chair Ujjwale Mohite and deputy chair Amit Kochhar

Pensions Committee Discussion

BMA chair and deputy chair - review of the year

Council update for BMA members January 2025

An update to council from chair of council Phil Banfield, chair of RB Latifa Patel, treasurer Trevor Pickersgill and deputy chair of council Emma Runswick. A transcript of this episode can be found attached to the email circulating this podcast to council.

Contents include:
01:03 - GP contract
03:47 - DDRB and pay restoration
08:31 - RDC policy
11:43 - Exams debacle
22:55 - PAs and AAs
30:09 - Covid-19
39:12 - International women's day
43:14 - Overseas NHS workers

Council update March 2025 - Phil Banfield, Latifa Patel, Trevor Pickersgill, Emma Runswick

An update to council from chair of council Phil Banfield, chair of RB Latifa Patel and deputy chair of council Emma Runswick. A transcript of this episode can be found attached to the email circulating this podcast to council.

Contents include:
00:58 - RDC ballot
10:44 - PAs and AAs
19:32 - Harvard International Conference on Administrative Harm, Professionalism and Teamwork in Medicine
23:13 - MRCP exam debacle
26:53 - ARM
28:16 - Thank yous

Council update May 2025 - Phil Banfield, Latifa Patel, Emma Runswick

An update to council from chair of council Tom Dolphin, deputy chair of council Emma Runswick and treasurer Peter Holden. A transcript of this episode can be found attached to the email circulating this podcast to council.

Council update November 2025 - Tom Dolphin, Peter Holden, Emma Runswick

BMA disability survey - audio version

Shared alongside the BMA's A Vote for Health manifesto, NHS patient Terence Gardner talks about his local GP.

A vote for health - about my GP

Alongside the BMA's A Vote for Health manifesto, junior doctors committee chair Jeeves Wijesuriya explains why doctors are under greater pressure than ever.

A vote for health - the pressures facing doctors

Shared alongside the BMA's A Vote for Health manifesto, psychiatrist Dr Gary Wannan discusses some of the key issues facing mental health services ahead of the election.

A vote for health - mental healthcare at risk

The already difficult task of breaking bad news has been made much harder by rules preventing families from being at patients’ bedsides. Antonia Field-Smith, a consultant in palliative medicine, is one doctor who used her experience to help colleagues take on new roles as the pandemic began to grip. 
Read the article in The Doctor issue 22, here: www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/tough-calls-how-best-to-break-bad-news

Tough calls | The Doctor audio feature

The BMA's patient liaison group chair Lesley Bentley and deputy chair Jenny Wigram give an update on the PLG's work over the last year to deputy chair of council David Wrigley.

PLG update with Lesley Bentley, Jenny Wigram and David Wrigley - ARM 2020

Disabled doctors and medical students were invited to complete an online survey which ran from November 2019 to January 2020. The survey was designed after consultation with members of the BMA’s EDI advisory group and the Disabled Doctors Network.

It asked disabled doctors and medical students to tell us about important issues affecting their professional lives and select priorities for action to create a more equal and inclusive profession. In addition to multiple choice responses, it included opportunities for free text
submissions on key questions, which provided further qualitative data to inform the findings and priorities for action set out in this report.

Disability in the medical profession: survey findings 2020

This audio briefing is a discussion of the BMA's work to highlight the pressures doctors are facing in the NHS, and why we have been lobbying for more funding and resources. With Jonathan Ware, head of the health policy team; Hannah Higgins, research officer; Rachel Evans, senior policy advisor; and Frances Player, policy advisor and support officer.

You can find the transcript for this audio briefing at the following link: https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairwesteuprod/production-bma-public/6e60cc421c444954bab1955c7cc4b880

NHS pressures and funding - audio briefing - ARM 2020

Julian Sheather, Specialist advisor (Ethics and human rights)in the BMA's professionalism and guidance team, discusses the association's recent work on human rights.

You can find the transcript for this audio briefing at this link: https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairwesteuprod/production-bma-public/3eba1b94772342db96dee54d51f77f4a

Human rights - audio briefing - ARM 2020

Senior policy advisor Kate Firth - from the BMA's equality, inclusion and culture policy team - discusses the BMA racial harassment charter for medical schools and guidance for medical students.

You can find the transcript for this audio briefing at the following link: https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairwesteuprod/production-bma-public/e8d7c0a8b0d94ae8bb90c6dde4c12e0e

Racial harassment charter - audio briefing - ARM 2020

This audio briefing discusses how the pandemic has affected doctors’ wellbeing and what the BMA has done to support them. With Duncan Bland, senior research advisor and Sophie Sauerteig, senior policy advisor – both in the workforce and innovation team; and Tom Rapanakis, head of wellbeing support.

You can find the transcript for this audio briefing at the following link: https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairwesteuprod/production-bma-public/bc940894120140a2a9a4edcf3cc2823a

Staff wellbeing - audio briefing - ARM 2020

For more information about the BMA menopause survey please go to - https://www.bma.org.uk/menopause-report

BMA menopause survey discussion

When hairdressers and barbers closed with the advent of lockdown, Dr Ehsan Weidi decided to rescue the hair of his colleagues with the help of two other doctors, and a cutting edge initiative: Lockdown lids.

If you were inspired by this story and would like to donate to towards Refuge you can visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/luca-scott1

Read the article in The Doctor issue 26, here: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/fringe-benefits

Fringe benefits | The Doctor audio features

Doctors wanting to move vulnerable relatives to the UK face almost insurmountable barriers despite being willing to fund their care. In this audio feature, we hear about the experiences of Dr Irfan Akhtar and Dr Kamal Sidhu.

If you have been impacted by the Home Office’s policy around adult dependant relatives, the BMA’s international team and the doctor magazine would like to hear your story. You can contact the international team on info.international@bma.org.uk and  The Doctor magazine at thedoctor@bma.org.uk.

To find out more about the advice and support we offer to international doctors, go to www.bma.org.uk/img-services

If you haven’t already, you can read the article this audio feature stems from in the January edition of the doctor magazine or at www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/are-your-parents-at-home

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