Amid the ongoing uncertainty around training posts and job security within the NHS, one thing has become increasingly clear: each year, more doctors are choosing to move abroad. Australia is often at the top of that list. Think sandy beaches, sunshine, an English-speaking workforce, and a healthcare system that looks - at least from the outside - comfortably familiar. It’s easy to see why heading “down under” has become so popular among UK graduates. But is it really as good as it sounds? To find out, I spoke with…

The headlines the last couple weeks are familiar - and rarely flattering: We will not 'be held to ransom' by striking doctors, says minister -BBC Wes Streeting blasts doctors’ strike as ‘slap in the face’ for NHS -The Independent From 14th to 19th November 2025, resident* (formerly "junior") doctors across England will walk out again - the 13th round of industrial action since 2023 in a dispute that refuses to die down. We all know that “full pay restoration” has been at the heart of these strikes in recent years.

On the 23rd of October 2025, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced a new round of strikes, set to take place from the 14th - 19th of November. This will mark the 13th round of strikes since 2023, as resident doctors continue their fight over pay, training, and working conditions. To understand why these strikes are happening, it’s essential to know who resident doctors are, how their NHS contracts have evolved over the last decade, and why previous disputes have escalated. This article break downs the…

Every year in the UK thousands of people are diagnosed with HIV, despite major advances in prevention and treatment. In 2024 there were around 3,043 new HIV diagnoses across the UK, representing a 4% drop from the year before. Yet even with this progress, nearly 42% of diagnoses in England were made at a late stage* of infection - when the virus has already caused significant damage to the immune system. That’s why tools like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) matter now more than ever. PrEP gives people who are HIV-negative an effective way to protect themselves before any exposure occurs - shifting the story from reactive to proactive.

Today we celebrate International Menopause Day - a day to bring compassion, awareness, and understanding to an experience that shapes the lives of all women in some way. This year’s theme focuses on menopause in the workplace - an important reminder that supporting women through this transition helps create healthier, fairer, and more inclusive work environments. If you’d like to understand menopause in more depth - what’s really happening in the body, common symptoms, and how to get the right support - I’ve written a comprehensive guide on menopause and perimenopause…

In both aviation and medicine, mistakes can cost lives. Yet while the aviation industry has spent decades learning how to learn from failure, healthcare still often fears it. I sat down with my dad, Chris Tomlinson - a veteran pilot with more than 25 years experience in the RAF and civilian aviation, to talk about what medicine might gain from “black box thinking” and just culture - a culture that turns error into insight, and insight into safer systems. Our conversation has been adapted for readability. Editor's note…

From diet and exercise to stress management and medication, this guide shows how small, consistent changes can help you take control of and live well with type 2 diabetes.

20 GP visits. No answers. With cancer rates rising in young people, Jess’ Rule is a wake-up call for patients and GPs alike: never dismiss persistent symptoms as ‘nothing.’

Biohacking. I’d heard the term once or twice in medical school, though it never held much weight for me at the time. That changed on a flight home from holiday last year when I got talking to a man who swore by it. He asked me, as a doctor, what I thought of biohacking. Embarrassingly, I had to admit I didn’t know enough to say. He smiled, told me it had transformed his life, and left me intrigued. Cue late-night Google deep dives, "doom-scrolling" through endless claims and counterclaims, and documentaries like 

In the UK, healthcare is free at the point of use. Yet families face bills of over £1,000 per week for standard nursing care. That's more than £50,000 a year, and many households are unprepared. QUESTION: Why is this the case if healthcare is free? ANSWER: Because it's healthcare that's free. Social care isn't. And though local councils can offer support, it is means-tested, and not everyone qualifies. Without careful planning, families can quickly face financial struggles, all while trying to ensure their loved ones get the care they need.

It is a known fact that waiting times for ADHD assessments in the UK vary greatly. According to ADHD UK's 2023 report, children may wait 5 weeks to 5 years. Adults may wait 12 weeks to over 10 years. With waits this long, many people turn to private assessments. These typically cost several hundred pounds, with many exceeding the £1,000 mark. So you've paid out of pocket and received your diagnosis. Your clinician recommends medication like Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) or Lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse, Vyvanse) to help your symptoms.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, affecting 1 in 6-8 men. Every year, more than 47,000 people are diagnosed, and around 12,000 die from the disease - that's more than 1 every hour. Despite these numbers, awareness is still surprisingly low, with many people not knowing what the prostate does, let alone the signs of cancer developing. Prostate cancer is often called a “silent killer” because early stages may have few or no symptoms. Catching it early makes treatment simpler and more effective - stage 1 cancers, affecting only half of one side of the prostate or less, have a  …

Let's talk about contraception: an essential part of reproductive health that can often feel overwhelming when there are lots of options available. How are you supposed to know what's best for you? While many contraceptive methods rely on hormones, there are times when avoiding them is preferred or necessary. Whether you've experienced side effects, have a medical condition limiting hormonal choices, or simply wish to follow a more natural approach, non-hormonal contraception can still effectively prevent pregnancy when used correctly. This guide will introduce you to the main…

Today marks IDAHOTB — the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. It's a day to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities, to confront stigma, and to advocate for more inclusive societies. In light of this, we’re examining a recent UK Supreme Court ruling that has sparked widespread debate: a decision which reaffirms that, under the Equality Act 2010, the legal definition of a 

The menopause - we've all heard of it, and it's an inevitability for all women at some stage in their life. When we think of the menopause, what do we think of? Chances are the first thoughts that pop into our head aren't entirely positive ones - think brain fog, mood swings, and more. But, what actually is the menopause? And do we have really have to just "grin and bear it"? The answer is no. In a sense, menopause is medical, and it is more than a 'life stage'. …

Top 10 red flags to spot pseudoscience in health claims.

Thousands of qualified UK doctors are unable to access NHS training posts. Explore the real reason behind the UK’s doctor shortage and the NHS training bottleneck in today's post.

Thousands of qualified UK doctors are unable to access NHS training posts. Explore the real reason behind the UK’s doctor shortage and the NHS training bottleneck in today's post.

One in three people in the UK will develop dementia in their lifetime. Dementia isn't a single disease, but an umbrella term for a group of conditions that cause a decline in brain function, affecting memory, reasoning, communication, and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Though most common in older adults, it is not a normal part of ageing. It is currently the leading cause of death in the UK, and despite decades of research, there is no cure. See below the video from Alzheimers Research UK - What Is Dementia?

Last week, I came across an article in The Guardian about the link between loneliness and health. This article discusses a fascinating new study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, which found that social isolation and loneliness correlate with higher levels of specific proteins in the blood. These proteins are involved in inflammation and immune responses, and have been linked to tangible health risks. The researchers monitored participants' health over a 14-year period, and the results were quite striking: 90% of these proteins are associated with a…

Chronic pain is a complex condition that affects around 20% of adults worldwide, making it one of the leading causes of disability. Defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines as an "unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage", chronic pain lasts longer than 12 weeks, beyond the expected healing period for an injury or disease. It can cause significant functional and emotional impairment, often resistant to traditional treatments or therapy. Chronic pain can be classified as…