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News

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The Chancellor, Lord Hague sitting with Sir Aziz Sheikh, Nicola Small, Prof Susan Jebb, Prof Ben Goldacre and Prof Trudie Lang for the session at the Blavatnik lecture theatre.

Oxford University Chancellor Lord Hague visits Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

A mother holding her newborn baby indoors

Women with obesity seeking IVF 47% more likely to conceive naturally after weight loss, Oxford review finds

Values awards logo

Department Values Awards winners 2025

A photo of Dr Besrour and Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh shaking hands outside St Hilda's College, Oxford.

University of Oxford announces new Professorship and Centre for Global Primary Care, with support from Dr Sadok Besrour

A woman sits with a medical practitioner having a blood test

Key blood test for identifying people with heart failure less accurate in those with atrial fibrillation, new study finds

A 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).

A glass filled with sugar cubes

Soft drinks tax changes 'miss opportunity' to tackle highest-sugar products, say Department researchers

Department 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.

Oxford team wins two of three top RCGP Research Paper of the Year awards

Department 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.

The child stands on the floor scales in a striped T-shirt, the view from the top. Health, objects.

Underweight children cost the NHS as much per child as children with obesity

New research shows underweight children cost NHS as much per child as those with severe obesity. Childhood weight issues generate £340 million additional annual healthcare costs compared to healthy weight children.

A collage of images taken from the Meeting Minds weekend talks September 2025

Department sessions at the Alumni Meeting Minds weekend

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences bring two sessions for alumni at Oxford Meeting Minds 2025, with talks on CEBM’s 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.

A pen writes "prostate" on a medical form used for ordering blood tests. Early diagnosis of prostate cancer is done via these tests.

PSA testing patterns in England raise concerns about overtesting

Study 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.

Mayor of Mancunia healthy food image

Shaping a healthier food system

Researchers in our Health Behaviours team are using an interactive digital game to involve the public in discussions about how to fix the food system.

NDPCHS and NDORMS join forces to explore shared research opportunities

Researchers 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.

A GP at their desk looking worried

How can we keep GPs in the job? New review points to relationships, meaning, and learning

New 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.

Hormone replacement therapy pills macro. Shallow depth of field with selective focus on numbers at right and lower edge of packet. You may also like:

Major study reveals stark HRT inequalities across England

Women from Black African backgrounds almost six times less likely to receive hormone replacement therapy than white women, new department-led research finds

Oxford Medical School hosts Palestinian students through OxPal Initiative

The 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.

A collage of images from the tours of the Radcliffe Primary Care Building

From Outpatients’ Building to Global Primary Care: Alumni and community tours celebrate the building’s history

As part of the University’s 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.

Welsh Parliament building, constructed from local slate, Cardiff, Wales. Known as the Senedd. The red brick Pierhead building can be seen in the background.

Centre for Research Equity partners with Wales to tackle health inequalities through inclusive research

The 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.

A GP having an consultation with a patient

People with severe mental illness gain three times as much weight as peers, yet weight-management referrals do not increase

People 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.

Multiple students and lecturers in a collage behind the words Postgraduate programmes open to application for 2026

NDPCHS postgraduate programmes now open to applications for 2026 entry

We’re now open for applications to most of our 2026 postgraduate courses, including DPhils, MScs, PGCerts and PGDips.

General practice should remain at the core of primary care reforms, say researchers

A 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.

A young female patient sits casually with her doctor as they discuss her health. She is seated in a chair in front of her doctor as they talk about her needs. The doctor is wearing a white lab coat and has her back to the camera as the two discuss possible plans of care to navigate the woman's care.

Faster cancer diagnosis pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms evaluated in major study

A 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.

Home-based heart rhythm screening improves diagnosis of common heart condition

A 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.

Collage of the Summer Academy for the Social Science of Health Innovation

Oxford hosts first Summer Academy for the Social Science of Health Innovation, led by MSc Translational Health Sciences programme team

Oxford’s 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’s College.

A mother holding her newborn baby indoors

Women with obesity seeking IVF 47% more likely to conceive naturally after weight loss, Oxford review finds

Department 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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Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of Oxford University. Readers' comments will be moderated - see our guidelines for further information.