30 October 2025
\n \n \n \nA large new study led by researchers in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences has found that a common blood test used to help diagnose heart failure is less accurate in people who also have atrial fibrillation (AF).
\n \n\n \n \n28 October 2025
\n \n \n \nDepartment researchers find government's soft drinks tax changes miss opportunity to maximise health benefits. Analysis shows targeting highest-sugar products could remove twice as much sugar from market as current proposals, particularly benefiting deprived areas.
\n \n\n \n \n17 October 2025
\n \n \n \nDepartment researchers win two of three Royal College of General Practitioners Research Paper of the Year Awards 2025, recognising groundbreaking work on hybrid general practice models and remote care training from the NIHR-funded Remote by Default 2 programme.
\n \n\n \n \n14 October 2025
\n \n \n \nNew research shows underweight children cost NHS as much per child as those with severe obesity. Childhood weight issues generate \u00a3340 million additional annual healthcare costs compared to healthy weight children.
\n \n\n \n \n9 October 2025
\n \n \n \nNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences bring two sessions for alumni at Oxford Meeting Minds 2025, with talks on CEBM\u2019s review of 30 years of evidence-based medicine spanning CD-ROMs to AI and big data, and a panel on sustainable food, health and nature chaired by Professor Susan Jebb.
\n \n\n \n \n9 October 2025
\n \n \n \nStudy of 10 million men finds many are having prostate cancer tests more frequently than recommended. Research published in The BMJ reveals significant variations in PSA testing across England, raising concerns about overtesting.
\n \n\n \n \n6 October 2025
\n \n \n \nResearchers in our Health Behaviours team are using an interactive digital game to involve the public in discussions about how to fix the food system.
\n \n\n \n \n3 October 2025
\n \n \n \nResearchers from our department and the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) came together this week for a collaborative showcase, aiming to spark new ideas for collaborative research by identifying areas of shared interest and potential.
\n \n\n \n \n30 September 2025
\n \n \n \nNew research shows GP retention depends on how services are organised, not just individual resilience. Meaningful work, strong relationships, and learning cultures help GPs stay in post and deliver better patient care.
\n \n\n \n \n29 September 2025
\n \n \n \nWomen from Black African backgrounds almost six times less likely to receive hormone replacement therapy than white women, new department-led research finds
\n \n\n \n \n26 September 2025
\n \n \n \nThe University of Oxford's Primary Care undergraduate medical education team has successfully hosted another group of Palestinian medical students as part of the innovative OxPal project, reinforcing the university's commitment to international medical education collaboration.
\n \n\n \n \n25 September 2025
\n \n \n \nAs part of the University\u2019s Meeting Minds alumni weekend, the Radcliffe Primary Care Building - home to the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (NDPCHS) - welcomed visitors on Sunday 21 September for four tours.
\n \n\n \n \n17 September 2025
\n \n \n \nThe Centre for Research Equity, hosted by the department, partners with Wales to tackle health inequalities through inclusive research. New three-year action plan aims to ensure research better reflects and benefits diverse communities.
\n \n\n \n \n17 September 2025
\n \n \n \nPeople with severe mental illness gain 4kg more weight than peers over 15 years but aren't offered more weight-management support, identifying crucial five-year intervention window.
\n \n\n \n \n10 September 2025
\n \n \n \nWe\u2019re now open for applications to most of our 2026 postgraduate courses, including DPhils, MScs, PGCerts and PGDips.
\n \n\n \n \n10 September 2025
\n \n \n \nA new article in The BMJ by Professor Kamal Mahtani (University of Oxford) and Dr Ruth Abrams (University of Surrey) argues that general practice must remain at the heart of NHS primary care reforms. The authors reflect on recent policies, including the NHS 10-Year Plan, and highlight the need for GPs to be actively involved in shaping reform implementation. They also introduce a new NIHR-funded research programme evaluating the impact of additional roles in general practice.
\n \n\n \n \n10 September 2025
\n \n \n \nA major new study led by researchers at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences has provided the most comprehensive analysis to date of the SCAN Pathway, a referral route which aims to accelerate and streamline cancer diagnosis for patients with symptoms that fall outside standard urgent referral guidelines.
\n \n\n \n \n29 August 2025
\n \n \n \nA wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) patch increases diagnosis of a common heart rhythm disorder, according to a study by researchers from Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and led by a team at Oxford Population Health.
\n \n\n \n \n21 August 2025
\n \n \n \nOxford\u2019s inaugural Summer Academy for the Social Science of Health Innovation (SASHI) brought together a global community of researchers, practitioners and policymakers for three days of learning, collaboration and critical reflection on the future of health innovation from 18-20 August 2025 at St Hilda\u2019s College.
\n \n\n \n \n12 August 2025
\n \n \n \nDepartment research finds weight-loss programmes raise natural-conception odds by 47% for women with obesity seeking IVF, potentially easing NHS access barriers and reducing treatment need.
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