Medical Centre

Pregnancy is a time filled with excitement, anticipation, and often, a touch of anxiety. Among the many decisions expectant parents make, one of the most crucial involves protecting the health of both the mother and the baby. Vaccination during pregnancy plays a vital role in this, yet uptake remains worryingly low in many regions. The Importance of Vaccination During Pregnancy Vaccines offered during pregnancy, such as those against influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), COVID-19, and the newly added respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in the UK, are designed to safeguard the health of mothers and their babies. For example: Influenza vaccine : Protects against severe complications from flu, which can be more serious during pregnancy. Pertussis vaccine : Provides critical early protection for babies against whooping cough until they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves. COVID-19 vaccine : Reduces the risk of severe disease and complications from COVID-19 during pregnancy. D...

From the end of 2026, the UK government will require the addition of folic acid to non-wholemeal flour. This is an important step forward in public health; an intervention that could prevent up to 200 cases of neural tube defects annually as well as improving the health of pregnant women and their babies.  Why Folic Acid Matters Folic acid is essential for healthy cell growth and development. For pregnant women, folic acid plays a critical role in the early stages of foetal development, particularly in forming the neural tube, which develops into the brain and spinal cord. An insufficient folic acid intake during pregnancy can lead to neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly—serious conditions that can result in lifelong disability for the child or even loss of life. While women planning to become pregnant are encouraged to take folic acid supplements, about half of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned. This means that many women may not be taking supplements at the ...

The NHS App, launched in 2019, was designed to revolutionise how patients engage with their healthcare, offering features such as booking appointments, viewing medical records, and ordering prescriptions. While the app has seen substantial uptake—with millions registering and engaging—it appears that the benefits of this digital innovation are not evenly distributed across the population as we report in our article in the Journal of Medical Internet Research . The Promise of the NHS App Digital health tools like the NHS App hold the potential to empower patients, improve self-management of health, and increase access to care. From March 2020 to June 2022, millions of users logged into the app, ordered prescriptions, and accessed medical records. However, a closer look at the data reveals disparities in who is using these features. The Digital Divide in Action Our recent study highlights how sociodemographic factors influence app engagement. Key findings include: Socioeconomic Disparit...

In today's interconnected world, migration is a key feature of modern societies. The UK has become home to a significant number of migrants seeking new opportunities or fleeing difficult circumstances. Yet, this group often faces unique healthcare challenges, including the risk of undiagnosed infectious and non-communicable diseases and incomplete vaccination records. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for individual well-being but also for broader public health. In a recent article published in the journal BMC Medicine , we evaluated Health Catch-UP!, a digital tool designed to bridge these healthcare gaps. Understanding the Need Migrants when compared to local populations are more vulnerable to certain health conditions that are common in their countries of origin. These range from infectious diseases like hepatitis and latent tuberculosis (TB) to non-communicable conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol. Unfortunately, current healthcare services in the UK often ov...

The UK and many other countries saw the implementation of numerous non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Policy-makers, clinicians and public health specialists need to be more aware of the limitations of observational studies in evaluating non- NPIs. The lack of high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) during the Covid-19 made it difficult to isolate the specific effects of individual NPIs and disentangle them from the complex interplay of different interventions. While observational studies provided rapid insights in an evolving crisis, they also presented challenges due to confounding factors and the concurrent implementation of multiple NPIs. Prioritising adaptive frameworks for real-time RCTs, particularly cluster-randomized trials, in future health crises could strengthen the evidence base and provide more robust insights for policymakers. Although the UK has a good public health data infrastructure compared to many other countries, it can ...

People with many long-term conditions are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. If you or someone you care about is living with a long-term condition, here are some practical steps people can take to reduce their risk: 1. Attend for Scheduled Check-Ups: Make sure you attend for any scheduled check-ups. For example, to check your blood pressure, weight, blood sugar levels and cholesterol; or to review your medication. 2. Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Focus on a healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoiding smoking; all of which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. For exercise, you should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. But even small changes – such as a modest increase in the amount of exercise you take each day – can have positive benefits. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and with less intake of processed foods and sugary drinks is also helpful for your hea...