British Journal of Surgery

Rethinking how we care for our patients in a time of social distancing during the COVID‐19 pandemic

The digital era has revolutionised the second half of the 20th century. Medicine has not been spared. It was not long ago that a Palm Pilot with access to Epocrates was the greatest technology. This evolved to the first smartphones, such as the giant Blackberry with tiny letter keys, followed by the touchscreen smartphone. Now we can call, text, e‐mail, page and research any question, even through voice command, in a matter of seconds from one device. With this, medicine has evolved to embrace an electronic medical record, digital operating room schedules, computerised foreign‐language interpreters, and digital prescribing of controlled substances.

Read this article here

British Journal of Hospital Medicine

Medical leadership in the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic

Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, adaptation of healthcare systems, with strong medical leadership, has been integral to coping with the ever-changing situation. This article is based on the personal experiences of doctors in the NHS and insights into the frontline response to this situation. It reflects on leadership dilemmas and strategies implemented to overcome them, with a focus on systems thinking and adaptive leadership.

Read the article here

Institute for Fiscal Studies

The mental health effects of the first two months of lockdown and social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK

This report discusses the impact of Covid-19 on mental health. It finds that mental health in the UK has worsened substantially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly for groups that already had lower levels of mental health before Covid-19, such as young adults and women.

Health and Well-being

How to maintain a slower pace of life after lockdown

Before lockdown, our lives were defined by speed. Rushing around, living life at rocket pace was the norm. Keeping up with work responsibilities, social obligations and the latest tech or fashion trends was a never-ending feat. Only a privileged few could afford to slow down. This research shows that in order to experience the benefits of slowing down, people must decelerate in three ways.