How do privilege and prejudice shape access to emergency care? In this reflection on equality and global health, updated in 2023, Stevan Bruijns challenges his own assumptions and asks readers to consider whose experiences, research and opportunities are represented in medicine.
Equality and global health. What I learned from being a recovering racist… Read More
Chris Wearmouth reflects on working in rural South Africa after foundation training. His 2018 account explores resource constraints, responsibility, supervision and the limits of competence, alongside the value of reciprocal teaching and sustainable improvement. It offers a candid perspective on both the opportunities and the personal costs of working abroad.
Time in rural South Africa as a UK trainee. St Emlyn’s. Read More
Could routine HIV testing make emergency care a stronger public-health opportunity? This 2017 discussion examines the rationale behind NICE’s 2016 guidance, including local prevalence, consent and follow-up. It considers how ED screening might reach people who do not attend sexual-health services and reduce barriers to diagnosis.
HIV screening in the ED. When, who and why. St.Emlyn’s Read More
An accessible 2017 introduction to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis explains why PrEP matters to emergency clinicians and patients. It discusses the evidence available then, sexual-health follow-up and the limits of protection, with access and prescribing details reflecting that period.
Are you PrEP-d for your Saturday night? St.Emlyn’s Read More
An ageing population changes more than the number of patients arriving in the emergency department. This opening essay in the 2016 ‘Big Questions’ series examines complex illness, social care needs and an ageing workforce, arguing for training and service planning that look beyond immediate pressures.
The BIG questions in EM. Part 1 – Demographics. St.Emlyn’s Read More
A 2015 introduction to chemsex for emergency clinicians, exploring drug use in sexual settings, patients’ reasons for attending and the importance of sensitive assessment. The article emphasises non-judgemental conversations, confidentiality, specialist advice and appropriate follow-up, including opportunities to disclose non-consensual experiences.
All you need to know about CHEMSEX but never dared to ask… St.Emlyn’s Read More
Could an emergency department visit create an opportunity to improve longer-term health? Natalie May’s 2015 RCEM teaching notes explore behavioural economics, brief conversations, injury prevention and local public health partnerships, while considering clinicians’ own habits and the importance of respecting patients’ choices.
Better Than Cure? Public Health in the ED at #RCEM15 Read More
A 2015 account of preparing an emergency department for possible MERS-CoV cases, drawing on local outbreak planning. It covers specialist collaboration, isolation facilities, protective equipment, rehearsal and clear staff guidance, with explicit recognition that plans require local adaptation and review as evidence changes.
How to prepare your ED for a MERS-CoV outbreak Read More
