Medical Centre

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...