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Adrian O’Dowd

Verified
  • Freelance Medical Writer, The BMJ
United Kingdom
As seen in: The BMJ, Nature, Nursing Standard
Journalist, music lover and gadgeteer.
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Articles by Adrian O’Dowd

Andy Burnham: As an ex-health secretary bids to become PM, what does his history reveal about his health priorities?

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Andy Burnham: As an ex-health secretary bids to become PM, what does his history reveal about his health priorities? | The BMJ
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Children are prescribed puberty blockers and cross gender hormones without a face-to-face appointment, investigation finds

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Clinicians at a general practice in Brighton have inappropriately prescribed puberty blockers and hormone treatments to 78 children, an official investigation report has found. Of the 78 children, 22 were given the medications without even having a face-to-face appointment. The findings are from an NHS patient safety investigation1 into concerns about inappropriate prescribing of medications for gender incongruence or dysphoria by some clinicians at the WellBN practice in Brighton and Hove.
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GMC: Doctors to get new rules on their personal beliefs and work

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Rules regarding ways doctors must keep their personal beliefs in check when treating patients are being updated by the General Medical Council. The regulator has launched a consultation1 on proposed changes to its personal beliefs and medical practice guidance,2 which was last fully updated in 2013. The GMC said it was updating the guidance to reflect legal, social, and cultural changes.
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Covid inquiry: “Superhuman” efforts of health workers saved NHS from collapse, report finds

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Covid inquiry: ...
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Overseas doctor recruitment saved NHS £10.9bn but UK is failing to train homegrown talent, say MPs

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
An estimated £14bn in training costs was saved by the NHS hiring overseas trained staff, a report has calculated, but MPs warn that the UK is failing to secure enough homegrown talent and to compensate countries from which it has recruited staff. A cross party group of MPs has called for a more equitable approach to international health recruitment in a report published to coincide with the UK Global Health Summit.
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GP contract overhaul: What’s included and how has it been received?

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
What is the overall funding uplift? The GP contract for 2026-271 includes a £485m uplift in core general practice funding, effective from 1 April. This uplift represents a 3.6% cash increase or 1.4% real terms growth, NHS England said. This includes an assumption of a 2.5% pay uplift in 2026-27, subject to the recommendation from the pay review bodies’ recommendation, it added. The £485m uplift brings the total GP contract value to £13.86bn.
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Wes Streeting’s links to private health and tech companies under fire in wake of Mandelson texts

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
The health secretary is facing criticism from doctors over his ties to industry, Adrian O’Dowd reports Health secretary Wes Streeting’s ties to private health and technology firms are again under the microscope.
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Superflu 2025: Reality or exaggeration?

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| buff.ly
Adrian O’Dowd examines just how bad the current flu season is and whether warnings it could be the worst in decades were sensationalist Every winter clinicians, experts, and the government warn the public about the dangers posed by seasonal flu. But this year was different. An early wave of cases was followed by a surge in terms such as “superflu” and “crisis,” with some politicians even warning that patient safety could not be guaranteed in overwhelmed hospitals.
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Strikes: BMA promises “constructive spirit” in talks with Streeting to avert further walkouts

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
The BMA has said that it will adopt a “constructive spirit” to try to avoid further strike action by resident doctors in 2026, as the latest five day walkout came to an end on 22 December. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee, who told The BMJ last week of his desire to negotiate an end to the dispute over pay and jobs,1 made a fresh appeal to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to resume talks.
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ChatGPT: More than a million users show signs of mental health distress and mania each week, internal data suggest

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| buff.ly
Hundreds of thousands of ChatGPT users exhibit signs of psychosis, mania, or suicidal intent every week, a company audit indicates.1 The finding, released as part of an update to the AI technology to better detect these types of conversations, comes amid a wider debate on how chatbots could exacerbate mental health problems. OpenAI, ChatGP’s developer, estimated that around 0.07% of users in a given week show possible signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania.
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Adults with a learning disability are dying 20 years earlier than the general population, audit finds

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Rates of avoidable death among people with a learning disability are almost twice as high as the general population in England, the latest in a series of NHS audits has found. An NHS England review1 found that, on average, people with learning disabilities died 19.5 younger than the rest of the population in 2023.
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Gaza: Doctors and UN demand investigation after double hospital bombing

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
At least 20 people, including healthcare workers, rescuers, and journalists, are thought to have been killed in a double air strike by Israeli forces on a hospital in Gaza. Doctors’ leaders and the United Nations (UN) have demanded an impartial investigation into the attacks on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, that took place on 25 August.
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Gaza: Thousands of UK doctors urge royal colleges to unite to advocate for Palestinian health workers and civilians

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
More than 5000 doctors have signed petitions calling on their royal colleges to be more vocal on the situation in Gaza and to work together to advocate for a ceasefire and the protection of health workers and civilians.
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Cosmetic surgery: Government launches TikTok campaign to highlight harms of overseas procedures

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
The government has enlisted the help of social media platform TikTok to raise awareness of the serious risks people face when travelling overseas for cosmetic procedures. The Department of Health and Social Care has partnered with medical influencers to create online content showcasing the risks and providing advice on how to make trips safer, including through researching the providers and surgeons. The government hopes the campaign will help protect patients and reduce costs …
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Conflicts of interest were at record low when RFK Jr dismissed “conflicted” vaccine panel

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Conflicts of interest reported by US national vaccine advisory committee members were at a record low before Robert F Kennedy Jr’s decision to dismiss the entire Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine panel, researchers have said.
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How tech is pairing with dental education and training

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| bdjjobs.com
Written by: Adrian O’Dowd Published on: 25 Jul 2025 Technology is built into dentistry, and what it can offer has and will continue to help it develop and improve services for patients, but how does the profession stay on top of something that is continually evolving? One obvious answer is continuing professional development (CPD), 100 hours of which is required for dentists during a five-year cycle by the dental regulator, the General Dental Council (GDC).
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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
BMA leaders have marked the 20th anniversary of the 2005 suicide bombings in London in a series of commemorative events. Four bombs exploded across the capital on 7 July 2005, causing 52 deaths and injuries to more than 770 people. The attacks happened on the London Underground near Aldgate, Edgware Road, and Russell Square stations, while a fourth device exploded on a bus in Tavistock Square outside the BMA headquarters.
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NHS plan will “fundamentally rewire” health service in England, PM vows

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
The government has unveiled its 10 year plan to transform the NHS in England, underpinned by housing more services under one roof in community settings to relieve pressure on hospitals, boosting use of technology, and sharpening the focus on preventing ill health.1 Central to the plan are new “neighbourhood health centres” offering GP appointments, diagnostic and blood tests, scans, postoperative care, mental health support and rehabilitation, dentistry, debt advice, employment support, and...
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Patient leaders condemn plans to replace NHS safety bodies with app feedback

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
More than 200 health regulatory agencies and bodies that represent patients are to be abolished by the government as part of its 10 year health plan. Agencies that assess quality in health and care, including Healthwatch England, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, and the National Guardian’s Office, are to be closed as part of a streamlining of regulatory bodies.
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Child vaccination undermined by fragmented and hard to navigate system, say experts

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Attempts to ensure children have easy access to vaccinations through the NHS are too often thwarted by unnecessary barriers, child health experts have warned. Hard to book appointments, inconvenient clinic locations, a lack of continuity in care, scant reminders of upcoming vaccinations, and reluctance to raise concerns about vaccines are all factors that are preventing vaccinations from happening, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) concluded.
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Quarter of young adults in England have a mental health condition, data suggest

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
The prevalence of mental ill health in England is worsening, with higher numbers of people experiencing problems and less than half receiving any treatment, NHS survey data suggest.
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Diversity in senior NHS roles increases but service “must do better” say leaders

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
The diversity of NHS management is increasing but specific problems such as barriers to career progression and higher levels of bullying or abuse remain for staff from ethnic minorities and those with a disability, latest official NHS workforce data show.
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Cervical screening home test kits will be rolled out in England from next year

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Cervical screening... Cervical screening home test kits will be rolled out in England from next year News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1325 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1325 Women in England who have not turned up or accepted invitations for routine cervical cancer screening will be offered home testing kits from next year in a drive to improve screening rates and reduce deaths.
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Senior clinicians urge resident doctors to avoid more strike action

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Senior clinicians urge... Senior clinicians urge resident doctors to avoid more strike action News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1196 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1196 Six well known senior clinicians have urged resident doctors to reject a call from the BMA for strike action over pay, arguing that such action would be futile and damaging.
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Childhood deprivation has life long impact on health

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Childhood deprivation... Childhood deprivation has life long impact on health News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1193 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1193 People born and living their early years in the most deprived areas of England have worse health and outcomes throughout their life in terms of obesity, tooth decay, attendances at hospital emergency departments, and educational success, according to Unicef UK.
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College calls for GP partnership model to be protected as numbers dwindle

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views College calls for GP... College calls for GP partnership model to be protected as numbers dwindle News Exclusive BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1178 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1178 The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has called for more support for GP partnerships to “remain a realistic option” for general practice among other approaches to working in primary care.
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Sixty seconds on . . . free school meals

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Sixty seconds on . . .... Sixty seconds on . . . free school meals News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1177 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1177 You want more? Apparently, yes. The government has announced that half a million more children in England will get free school meals from September as it expands eligibility. Who will benefit? Every pupil whose household is on universal credit regardless of their parents’ income.
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Weight loss drugs could make oral contraception less effective, MHRA warns

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Weight loss drugs... Weight loss drugs could make oral contraception less effective, MHRA warns News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1169 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1169 Women who take weight loss drugs should use barrier contraception if they are seeking to avoid pregnancy, the medicines regulator has advised.
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Officials look into why serious yeast infections are rising

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Officials look into... Officials look into why serious yeast infections are rising News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1118 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1118 Health officials are investigating rising numbers of serious yeast infections in England in the past year, including cases involving Candidozyma auris (formerly known as Candida auris) that can resist many common treatments.
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Health leaders decry £750m for NHS estate as a “small down payment” on £13.8bn maintenance backlog

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Health leaders decry ... Health leaders decry £750m for NHS estate as a “small down payment” on £13.8bn maintenance backlog News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1122 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1122 Health leaders have given a lukewarm welcome to news that the NHS estate in England is to receive a £750m funding boost in the coming year.
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Alcohol is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer, finds study of 2.5m people

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
Consumption of alcoholic drinks may raise the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a large international study.
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Covid-19: Early call to test healthcare staff was ignored, inquiry hears

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified, Gareth Iacobucci Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1092 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1092 Adrian O’Dowd1, Gareth Iacobucci2 1London 2The BMJ The seventh module of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is focusing on the “test, trace, and isolate” system.
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Fresh industrial action looms as resident doctors are balloted over pay

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Fresh industrial... Fresh industrial action looms as resident doctors are balloted over pay News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1094 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1094 A new round of industrial action to protest over doctors’ pay in England is being considered, with the BMA starting to issue ballot papers to its resident doctor members.
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Health leaders reject law change that would give clinicians power to detain people in mental health crisis

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Health leaders reject... Health leaders reject law change that would give clinicians power to detain people in mental health crisis News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1085 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1085 Proposals to give medical practitioners the same power as the police to detain people who are experiencing a mental health crisis have been rejected by a group of health and social care organisations.
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New targets needed to reduce infant death rates after slow progress, say charities

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views New targets needed to... New targets needed to reduce infant death rates after slow progress, say charities News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1073 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1073 Two leading baby loss charities have called for new commitment from the government to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths in England.
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BMA sounds alarm over medical students planning to leave UK

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views BMA sounds alarm over... BMA sounds alarm over medical students planning to leave UK News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1058 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1058 Disillusion and a lack of enthusiasm among medical students in Northern Ireland has “worrying implications” for its health service, the BMA has warned.
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Health of world’s teens is at “tipping point,” expert commission warns

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1034 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1034 The overall health of adolescents worldwide is at risk of worsening in the coming years despite some improvements in the past decade, an international report has concluded.
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Drug deaths causing UK mortality to fall behind other high income countries, analysis finds

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
A sharp rise in drug related deaths in recent years is largely responsible for the UK’s mortality worsening compared with other high income countries, an analysis has found. The UK rate of drug related deaths was more than three times higher in 2019 than the average of peer countries, a report1 by the Health Foundation found. Mortality for men and women in the UK fell between 1990 and 2023, but most of this improvement happened before the early 2010s.
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Senior NHS bosses’ pay will be linked to cutting waiting times

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Senior NHS bosses’ pay... Senior NHS bosses’ pay will be linked to cutting waiting times News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1013 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1013 Very senior NHS managers, including medical directors, will be able to earn 10% bonuses or face having their pay cut by 15%, depending on how well their organisation performs, it has been announced.
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Health leaders call for ban on smacking in England to protect children

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1010 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1010 Multiple health organisations have joined forces to call on the government to make physical punishment of children illegal in England.
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Excess deaths: Data show rise in number linked to long emergency waits

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Excess deaths: Data... Excess deaths: Data show rise in number linked to long emergency waits News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1008 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1008 The number of people dying prematurely after long waits in hospital emergency departments before admission rose by a fifth in England last year, an analysis has found.
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LMCs annual conference: News in brief

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views LMCs annual conference... LMCs annual conference: News in brief News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r974 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r974 Doctors support use of AI for transcribing patient notes At the BMA’s UK local medical committees conference in Glasgow on 9 May, GP representatives voted overwhelmingly for a motion that supported the use of artificial intelligence in general practice in various ways, including transcribing notes.
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Assisted dying: Psychiatrists’ leaders refuse to support proposed law change in England and Wales

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Assisted dying:... Assisted dying: Psychiatrists’ leaders refuse to support proposed law change in England and Wales News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1000 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1000 The Royal College of Psychiatrists has said that it cannot support proposed legislation in its current form that would make assisted dying legal in England and Wales.
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Low taxes on heated tobacco products are hampering smoking cessation efforts, study finds

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r999 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r999 All governments should tax heated tobacco products (HTPs) in line with traditional cigarettes to avoid effectively subsidising the tobacco industry, a study has concluded.1 HTPs—which tobacco manufacturers say are less harmful than cigarettes because they involve heating tobacco to create a vapour rather than burning tobacco to create smoke in a cigarette—are becoming increasingly common and are sold as a...
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What does Reform UK mean for healthcare?

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views What does Reform UK... What does Reform UK mean for healthcare? News News Analysis BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r958 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r958 Reform UK was the largest winning political party in England’s recent council elections and is now set to dominate local government in parts of the country. Adrian O’Dowd looks at how this may affect healthcare Should Reform UK be taken as a serious political voice? Yes.
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Endometriosis: NICE approves new treatment option

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Endometriosis: NICE... Endometriosis: NICE approves new treatment option News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r883 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r883 A drug that was approved last year for uterine fibroids is now available for patients of reproductive age who have previously had medical or surgical treatment for endometriosis.
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Patients with long term conditions are being harmed by poorly coordinated care, watchdog warns

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Patients with long... Patients with long term conditions are being harmed by poorly coordinated care, watchdog warns News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r761 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r761 People with long term health conditions are being left vulnerable to harm and burnout because of inadequate coordination of care across the NHS and care system, England’s patient safety watchdog has said.
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NICE recommends “targeted” drug capivasertib for advanced breast cancer

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views NICE recommends ... NICE recommends “targeted” drug capivasertib for advanced breast cancer News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r762 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r762 The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended a targeted twice daily drug treatment that could help around 3000 women a year with advanced breast cancer in England and Wales.
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Extra 1500 GPs appointed in past six months under ARRS scheme

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
News & Views Extra 1500 GPs... Extra 1500 GPs appointed in past six months under ARRS scheme News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r715 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r715 More than 1500 additional GPs have been recruited to England’s workforce in the past six months under the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS), it has been announced, equating to 851 full time doctors.
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Thousands of doctors face unexpected pension tax charge, FOI data reveal

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By Adrian O’Dowd Verified
| The BMJ Verified
More than 4000 doctors face having to pay a tax charge on their pensions as a result of the nationally agreed pension discrimination remedy, data have shown. Various official delays and problems over pensions and tax calculations are also making it difficult for doctors to make plans about their work and retirement.
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