Relaunched doctor reward scheme is a missed opportunity for fairer reform

The new national scheme for rewarding clinical excellence in the NHS is a missed opportunity to design a fairer system, and one that recognizes the collective effort of teams over individuals, according to a new paper.

Climate factors predict future mosquito activity

Increases in three climate factors—temperature, rainfall, and ocean warming —predicted mosquito population growth in Sri Lanka for the next one to six months, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. The findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, can inform the design and timing of programs to limit the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue.

Both heat and cold increase death risk in England and Wales; rates vary across geographical areas, population groups

Each year in England and Wales, there were on average nearly 800 excess deaths associated with heat and over 60,500 associated with cold between 2000 and 2019, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

Overall risks of shoulder surgery low, but study finds significant risk of reoperation

Rates of serious complications associated with shoulder surgery are low, but one in 26 patients need further surgery within a year, finds a study in The BMJ today.

New sickle cell disease gene therapies depend on getting the right mouse

Sickle cell disease is an extremely debilitating condition that affects up to 40% of the population in African countries, with patients suffering episodes of excruciating pain, organ damage and reduced life expectancy. This disease is caused by a mutation in a gene that makes hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells, with the damaged hemoglobin distorting the shape of red blood cells, causing painful and potentially life-threatening blockages in blood vessels. However, scientists have realized that increasing the production of a healthy form of this protein (fetal hemoglobin, which is usually only produced when we are in the womb), could provide a revolutionary treatment for these patients.