Anyone else had this spam email from the so-called Academy of Public Health?

Challenging and incisive report from the Transforming Evidence team on what needs to change in health R&D in the UK. Well worth reading. It's at transforming-evidence.org/resources/op...

Our research on locum doctors found it is still possible for problem doctors to move from place to place and evade scrutiny. Some frank and revealing interviews - full paper at
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

It's easy to blame the locum doctor when something goes wrong. Some eye-opening qualitative data in our new paper on liminality, locums and concerns about performance. Full paper (OA) at www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"What seems to be the problem? Locum doctors, liminality and concerns about performance". Really great paper led by Gemma Stringer on liminality and locum doctors just out in Social Science and Medicine. Open access at www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I went last week to the funeral of Penny Mullen who died in May aged 81. She was an academic at the Health Services Management Centre in Birmingham for many years, supervised my PhD, and was later a colleague. Uncompromising, irascible but absolutely dedicated to her students and her work. RIP.

Really interesting and challenging paper about the evolution of UK health economics, role of women academics and the early dominance by a male cadre of senior profs. Well worth reading. Full paper at www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Q. What's the difference between a neighbourhood health hub and a Darzi polyclinic?
A: About 16 years! More at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycli...

Everyone involved in university governance should read the SFC review of Dundee University's financial crisis. It pulls no punches in its criticism of senior leaders. Full report at
www.sfc.ac.uk/wp-content/u...

Great to see the 4th edition of our textbook on Healthcare Management just out - with new editorial team and loads of new and updated content.

It's been quite a week in the NHS in England - the HSJ "top stories" sidebar suggests the need to go and have a quiet lie down...

Really interesting - if depressing - analysis of the state of UK higher education from former Warwick VC. Full paper (paywalled) at rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Who's in charge at the US Department of Health and Human Services? Worth looking at the website - most key senior leadership positions now "vacant". It is extraordinary. See www.hhs.gov/about/leader...

Extraordinary expression of no confidence from Public Accounts Committee in senior leadership at both DHSC and NHS England. Full report at committees.parliament.uk/committee/12...

Blistering polemic from @tomforth.co.uk on the way the north of England has been disadvantaged over decades by government in and from Westminster. Love this bit on R&D.