Rebecca Coombes

London

Head of Journalism at The BMJ

Head of Journalism, The BMJ [email protected]

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bmj.com

newstatesman.com

Articles

Patients with asthma or heart disease should avoid incense sticks and other airborne pollutants, says CMO

3 weeks ago | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

News & ViewsPatients with asthma... Patients with asthma or heart disease should avoid incense sticks and other airborne pollutants, says CMO News BMJ 2025; 389 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1146 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;389:r1146 Air pollution is the least recognised of the big five preventable causes of disease in the UK, and doctors should take it more seriously, England’s chief medical officer has said.
Moorfields consultants warn of “culture of fear” and leadership crisis

Feb 28, 2025 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

News BMJ 2025; 388 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r424 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;388:r424 Consultants at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital, one of the world’s leading ophthalmology centres, have voiced serious concern over the leadership of the NHS trust, alleging a “culture of fear” and a loss of institutional confidence in the board.
Make America healthy again? A moment of reckoning for healthcare

Jan 16, 2025 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

Rebecca Coombes, head of journalismThe BMJrcoombes{at}bmj.comNext week the US president elect, Donald Trump, will take office with a mandate to make radical changes to the government’s approach to medicine and public health. Health insurance coverage in particular faces massive, potentially harmful, reform (doi:10.1136/bmj.q2801).1 Republicans in Washington plan to shrink Medicaid, the programme for people on low incomes, potentially leaving millions of Americans uninsured.
Unethical infant feeding service is axed in Tesco climbdown

Jan 15, 2025 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

News & ViewsUnethical infant... Unethical infant feeding service is axed in Tesco climbdown News BMJ 2025; 388 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r81 Cite this as: BMJ 2025;388:r81 A controversial scheme in which midwives paid by a leading formula milk company have been providing infant feeding advice to new parents has been axed after an outcry.
Danone’s use of midwives to give branded infant feeding advice in supermarket sparks anger

Jan 8, 2025 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

Advice sessionsThe Tesco Extra store’s new health consultation rooms host the free infant feeding advice sessions alongside paid-for services, such as a £45 consultation with a clinician on managing menopause symptoms. By booking a session with “Aptaclub from Danone” parents can talk to a healthcare professional in private for 30 minutes. The online booking form links to an Aptaclub branded page, and Aptaclub leaflets are available in the waiting room.
The BMJ Appeal 2024-25: the face of conflict

Dec 4, 2024 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

News & ViewsThe BMJ Appeal 2024-25... The BMJ Appeal 2024-25: the face of conflict News The Big Picture BMJ 2024; 387 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q2705 Cite this as: BMJ 2024;387:q2705 A mother in Hazima, Syria, takes her youngest daughter for a check-up at a clinic supported by the International Rescue Committee … View Full Text Subscribe from £184 *Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
Conflicts of interest: moving towards zero tolerance

Nov 19, 2024 | bmj.com | Chris van Tulleken |Nigel C Rollins |Rebecca Coombes

Chris van Tulleken, associate professor1, Nigel Rollins, WHO2, Rebecca Coombes, head of journalism3 1University College, London, UK 2WHO, Geneva, Switzerland 3The BMJ, London, UK Harmful industries still exert their influence over health professionals, academia, and health systems; robust change is required, write Chris van Tulleken, Nigel Rollins, and Rebecca Coombes In the 1950s, smoking was proven beyond doubt to cause cancer and yet efforts to curb this pandemic were stalled over the next...
Taking women’s pain seriously: the surgeon who spoke out about vaginal mesh

Jun 5, 2024 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

Intended for healthcare professionals News & ViewsTaking women’s pain...
Doctors can’t fix the alcohol problem by themselves

Apr 24, 2024 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

Editor's Choice BMJ 2024; 385 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q936 Cite this as: BMJ 2024;385:q936 Rebecca Coombes, head of journalism, The BMJ rcoombes{at}bmj.com Follow Rebecca on Twitter @rebeccacoombes A decade ago the jurisdiction of England and Wales was on the brink of introducing a policy that would have led to substantial reductions in the harms done by alcohol (doi:10.1136/bmj.f7646).1 Instead, politicians U turned, ignoring strong health advice in favour of protecting industry...
Staff wellbeing is more important than ever

Nov 22, 2023 | bmj.com | Rebecca Coombes

Rebecca Coombes, head of journalismThe BMJrcoombes{at}bmj.comFollow Rebecca on Twitter @rebeccacoombesThe acute phase of the covid-19 pandemic might be over, but its shadow continues to loom large. The cumulative effect of covid on health services, including treatment backlogs, means that staff wellbeing is more important than ever.