David Blane
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dnblane.bsky.social
David Blane
@dnblane.bsky.social
GP and Senior Clinical Lecturer @UofGlasgow | Academic lead, Scottish Deep End Project (www.gla.ac.uk/deepend) | Inclusion health SIG, Society for Academic Primary Care
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?
October 31, 2025 at 12:14 PM
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
October 31, 2025 at 11:02 AM
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
October 31, 2025 at 10:45 AM
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...
Parliament to nominate Scotlands first Patient Safety Commissioner
www.parliament.scot
October 31, 2025 at 10:07 AM
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
October 31, 2025 at 9:57 AM
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.
September 1, 2025 at 10:47 AM
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...
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...
bjgp.org
September 1, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Reposted by David Blane
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.
March 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM