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Balsam

@drbalsamahmad.bsky.social
2.8K followers 795 following 555 posts

Consultant of Public Health in the #NHS Passionate about art & science #PlanetaryHealth; Mother #SEND ♿️ Ally #LivedExperience #SocialJustice anti-war, loves #parkrun 🐈‍⬛ 📖 & cooking/catering Views are own; reposts # endorsements; lives in the proper North!

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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
The very best end of a September when I got to listen not once but twice to one of my gurus in Public Health Sir Michael Marmot first at #Healthworks30 and later at #NewcastleUniversity #Insights #Lectures Today I have had a dose of #hope that will last for a long time.
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
#GreatNorth10K My 1st. Only ever did #ParkRun & #WingsForLife solo runs. For a long time I’ve had low confidence. Standing in the 1st wave among competent runners a moment of self doubt creeped but I brushed away.Today I proved a lot to myself & my time was better than I ever imagined #selfbelief
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Baking at almost midnight. My cat watched and watched over me. He has wisely decided to give in or give up and go to sleep 😴
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
After more than 10 years my Jasmine tree is finally in full bloom. I have always kept faith and hope that one day it will thrive and have kept on doing all I can for this happen. #Hope #Perseverence #Faith #nevergiveup
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
#Type1Diabetes #CGM #CYP #Inequalities onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Equity of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Children and Young People With Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review
Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic inequalities in type 1 diabetes (T1D) outcomes are well-established. There is concern that unequal access to technologies, including continuous gluco....
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
new.basw.co.uk/about-social...
new.basw.co.uk
Reform councillors aged 19 and 22 in charge of children’s and adult services at local authority
Social workers raise questions over clash of values and lack of experience of new lead members at Leicestershire County Council
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”- Mother Teresa
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
“Digging deep”, an article my son wrote in the SIA Magazine Summer edition. This is a reflection of a trip of a lifetime to Southeast Asia last year & what he learnt as a young person with a recent spinal injury. #SpinalCordInjury #Accessibility #Travel #WheelchairUser #SelfDiscovery #LifeLessons
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
The fact this is a decision by #AccessToWork is shocking #Touretteshero artistic work gave many opportunities to other disabled artists, my son included. I am saddened and angered to read this.
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
As a country we can’t be serious about addressing climate change if prices of travel on public transport, especially trains, continue to soar exponentially. These👇are discounted return prices for 2 adults (disabled person card) travelling between Newcastle to London in late July. Unethical!
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Dr Steve Taylor @drstevetaylor.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
Ending visas for overseas Care Workers will likely result in Care Homes being unable to recruit & poor care for their residents. This might be you, your relatives or your friends. Unless @teamlabouruk.bsky.social is prepared to increase payments to homes at the same time. Somehow I doubt that.
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better” Albert Einstein Stunning sunset at Paddy Freeman, Newcastle upon Tyne
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
A memory from four years ago when my son was an inpatient in hospital. He wrote this note & the play specialist in the ward laminated & attached on curtains around his bed in a bay. Evidence suggests that protecting patients’ #privacy during hospitalisation is an important element of #dignifiedCare
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
Where are all wood burners in England & Wales? Urban areas outside major cities are likely to have the worst #airpollution from wood burning. New mapping highlights #Worthing, #Norwich, #Reading, #Cambridge & #Hastings. Study led by @ucl.ac.uk. Story by me. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Map reveals residential wood-burning hotspots in England and Wales
Researchers analyse energy performance certificate data to identify areas with potentially high particle pollution
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Greg Fell @felly500.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Vaccine Disinformation Dismantling of Public Health Very limited primary care infrastructure Falling routine vaccination = Measles Resurgence And an outbreak that will be very difficult to stop www.milbank.org/quarterly/op...
milbank.org
The Perfect Storm: Measles Resurgence in an Era of Vaccine Disinformation and the Dismantling of Public Health | Milbank Memorial Fund
In 2024, we warned about the potential for measles resurgence in the United States, due to declining vaccination rates and growing religious and other
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
Important & timely paper #AMR #ArmedConflict #Displacement #ClimateEmergency #Disasters #Poverty www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Unravelling the linkages between conflict and antimicrobial resistance - npj Antimicrobials and Resistance
The compounded impacts of conflicts, natural disasters and climate change increasingly fuel the development and spread of drug-resistant organisms while weakening mitigation efforts through failed gov...
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
A gorgeous morning more so as my marshalling volunteering position in Parkrun could not have been more perfect: I was in a sunny spot opposite the picnic field & next to a field of wild garlic. Being here I get a positive dose of hope & energy that will last for a week. Wishing all a joyful Easter
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Ah that is lovely! www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/foo...
chroniclelive.co.uk
Michelin-starred chef to host luxury five-course meal benefitting disabled kids
Chef Kenny Atkinson will be cooking up a huge fundraiser with the team at Smile For Life Children’s Charity
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
“It makes complete sense [to treat it like defence], particularly as we have various state actors engaged in grey zone hostile activity. A good example of that is antibiotics. We don’t make any antibiotics in the UK: that’s not a resilient situation to be in.” www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
independent.co.uk
85% of NHS medicines could be at risk due to tariff trade friction, ministers warned
Ministers must treat medicines supplies as a ‘defence’ issue as it faces ‘hostile activity’ over the brewing trade war
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The King's Fund @thekingsfund.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Integrated care board cuts – what does it all mean? Is the complete overhaul of the function and purpose of ICBs a seismic shift or a trivial tweak? We asked our policy experts how the cuts to ICB running costs might play out in reality. Read the full blog. buff.ly/Y8Kebp3
buff.ly
Integrated Care Board Cuts – What Does It All Mean? | The King's Fund
A seismic shift or a trivial tweak? We asked our policy experts how the cuts to integrated care board running costs might play out in reality.]
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
I can help the government predict who's likely to kill, but they won't like the answer www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
theguardian.com
UK creating ‘murder prediction’ tool to identify people most likely to kill
Algorithms allegedly being used to study data of thousands of people, in project critics say is ‘chilling and dystopian’
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
A great thread #vaccines #Immunisation #VaccinePreventableDiseases #Outbreaks #Policy #AntiVaxxers #MMR #PublicTrust #PublicHealth
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Daz @dazwright.com · 08/04/2025
Once again, the short termism of administrative cost cutting. Yes, you can have a workforce that is entirely made up of clinicians, but who will communicate with patients? Make sure people turn up to appointments? Fix things when they go wrong? We are in this situation because we did this in 2012
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Dr Farbod @emergencybod.medsky.social · 08/04/2025
This is madness. Administrative staff are essential to allow clinical staff to do their jobs. All initiatives like this do is add more admin tasks to the workload of clinical staff who are already being asked to look after more people for less and less. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
Hospitals in England could shed 100,000 jobs in response to cost-cutting orders
Exclusive: Scale of looming job losses prompts NHS leaders to ask Treasury to cover costs
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
“the UK spends just 1.9% of its health budget on administration costs, the sixth lowest out of the 19 comparable countries measured”. “In the drive to raise NHS efficiency, national politicians need to be aware that cutting cost is not the same as increasing efficiency”
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
"It's essential that we keep doctors in the NHS - and when this is students' first experience with NHS employment, it increases the risk that they'll join so many of their colleagues in moving abroad." www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
New doctors only being told job location with weeks to spare
Health bosses are accused of keeping resident doctors in the dark about their first position.
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Sarah M @sarah-owl.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
So many reasons for missed appointments: letter didn’t arrive; nobody could read it; person was unwell/in another hospital; coincided with another appt and they thought they were the same; transport fell through; couldn’t afford to get there; not accessible…
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
The impact of👇can be easily predicted, especially if no measures in place to enable patients to attend appointments #Inequity Quoting the article “He went on to say that if patients missed appointments "twice or more, then people do risk being referred back to their GP".” www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
NHS Wales: Back of the queue threat for missed appointments
The proposal is part of plans that could also allow patients to track their progress on an app.
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
“Happy Assyrian New Year 6775! The Akitu festival marked the Assyrian New Year in ancient Mesopotamia. Today April 1st marks a conclusion of the 12-day Akitu festival & the vernal equinox, signifying the beginning of the Assyrian calendar”. ܪܫܐ ܕܫܢܿܬܐ ܐܫܘܪܝܬܐ #Assyrian #Akitu #AssyrianNewYear
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Everyone believes they will be the exception. That chronic illness, homelessness or tragedy won’t befall them. We can’t all be the exception. Life can change in an instant, and most will experience tragedy at some point in their lives. We should all fight for better social supports & safety nets
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
This is literally a war waged on public health..
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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Starmer under fire over cuts to welfare benefits www.channel4.com/news/starmer...
channel4.com
Starmer under fire over cuts to welfare benefits
The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been in Huddersfield today announcing more money to boost rail links from there to Manchester, York and Leeds.
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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
WH Smith name to disappear from high streets after sale www.channel4.com/news/wh-smit...
channel4.com
WH Smith name to disappear from high streets after sale
In recent years the likes of Woolworths, Topshop and Debenhams have disappeared from our high streets. All once mighty retail outlets boasting thousands of stores.
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
This is sad to read and worrying. I am lost for words!
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
No one should take for granted civil peace. Samajo Bešo was the lived experience speaker in training today. Listening to him tell his family’s story of surviving genocide in Bosnia I was in tears. Why can’t humans never learn from history & genocides continue to happen? hmd.org.uk/resource/sma...
hmd.org.uk
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | Smajo Bešo OBE
Smajo Bešo has seen the worst and best of humanity. After surviving the horrors of the genocide in Bosnia, he found refuge and safety in the UK where he now proudly embraces his Bosnian roots and new-...
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Ah…Who knew? Scary when one has a loved one with a chronic illness and reliant on reliable supplies of medications. #Brexit #MedicineShortages www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
Brexit a key factor in worst UK medicine shortages in four years, report says
Nuffield Trust says supply chains have shifted, with medicines for epilepsy and cystic fibrosis among those now scarce
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
👇photo from 3 years ago came on my feed: my son recording his rap song that tells the story of his sudden relapse after 5 months in hospital & what was seen as a miraculous recovery. Everything reversed & more💔 Keeping #hope was hard but he did. We did. This is Twice: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c2S...
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
What a moving thread. Unbelievable 5 years already passed since the announcement for lock down!
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Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
We’ve spoken to disabled people and the groups that support them about the government’s proposed cutbacks to benefits - safe to say there is a great deal of concern and anger www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...
liverpoolecho.co.uk
'I didn't think they would throw disabled people under the bus'
People on disability benefits in Merseyside have been left feeling anxious and dismayed by Labour's plans to cut back billions from the welfare state
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
“These proposals risk deepening hardship and pushing even more disabled people, carers and families into crisis, which could result in higher long-term costs for local authorities, the NHS, housing services and other support systems” www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
Councils and NHS could face millions in extra costs due to disability benefit cuts
Government plans for Pip cuts will drive up costs for local authority social care services and NHS, campaigners warn
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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
In which I highlight the incredibly unequal impact of the pandemic on ethnic minority populations in the UK Click on the image to listen! (30 seconds long)
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Emma Vardy @emmavardy2.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
New film on Greater Manchester delirium pathway. Hearing from systems leaders and international visitors.... m.youtube.com/watch?v=iwMH...
m.youtube.com
Learning from Greater Manchester's delirium pathway
YouTube video by NHS Greater Manchester
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
“A House of Commons committee has revealed a damning picture of wide-scale #accessibility failures that it says are “systemically ingrained” across every mode a& network of travel across the UK” #DWPBenefitCuts www.thecanary.co/long-read/20...
thecanary.co
The state of accessible transport has been exposed - just as the DWP is hammering disabled people
The state of accessible transport has been exposed - just as the DWP is hammering disabled people from Canary on 20 March 2025
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Greg Fell @felly500.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Between 2006 and 2024, smoking rates in the North of England fell faster than the national average, narrowing the geographic inequalities in smoking prevalence Regional tobacco control programmes! www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Trends in smoking prevalence and socio‐economic inequalities across regions in England: A population study, 2006 to 2024
Background and Aim In addition to national policies and interventions, certain regions in England (particularly in the North) coordinate regional tobacco control programmes. This study aimed to (i) .....
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
lessons from the North? “The study, published in the journal Addiction, found that smoking increased 10% in southern England between 2020 and 2024. In contrast, rates decreased by 9.7% over the same period in the north”. #SmokingRates #FundingCuts www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
Smoking rates in parts of England rise for first time since 2006, study shows
South-west sees biggest jump, up 17% between 2020 and 2024, while rate in southern England increases by 10%
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Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
Wow shocking data @bmj.com: “In 2023, 302 black candidates applied to anaesthetics, with only five offers made, meaning only 1.66% of applicants were successful. For white candidates, 47% of applications were successful.”
BMJ article
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Dr Farbod @emergencybod.medsky.social · 16/03/2025
"…doctors had been turned into "factory workers" in an effort to deliver ever-increasing productivity." A NHS doctor dies by suicide every 3 weeks. A nurse attempts suicide daily. Who cares for the carers? The lonely death of Dr Jagdip Sidhu www.the-londoner.co.uk/nhs-doctor-s...
the-londoner.co.uk
The lonely death of Dr Jagdip Sidhu
He was a rising star of the NHS. Could his work have contributed to his death?
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
My attempt to wear black & white to support the Toon in #Parkrun I was among the last runners but does it matter? For me parkrun is about social connectedness in a world that needs it more than ever. My message “Just be kind”, including to oneself-a lesson I recently learnt the hard way #selfcare
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Earlier: volunteered at my local Parkrun-my happy place (Notable lack of fashion in photo; hugs from a colleague as we mourn the loss of a mutual friend who tragically died last Saturday; walk at Whitley Bay-breathing the sea. Gratitude🙏 for living in a special place. Now I take nothing for granted.
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Balsam @drbalsamahmad.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
I can’t begin to describe how we feel: on the edge 💔 Fear as armed groups reach close to the town where my husband’s family live. Hundreds of innocent civilians-some individuals/families known to us have been slaughtered since yesterday, processions looted & properties burned. youtu.be/3mx5i-ksFXQ
youtu.be
Syria: More than 400 Alawite civilians killed, monitor says
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
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