Nick Hopkinson

Professor of Respiratory Medicine FRCP #COPD Tobacco control, social justice, lung health 🫁 🚭 #NHS
Born at 323ppm.

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Lung Disease and Social Justice: COPD as a Manifestation of Structural Violence https://t.co/UWHR7xjVW4 @atscommunity @asthmalunguk @ATSBlueEditor /n

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Senior physicians call on the RCP to uphold its 2024 EGM mandate on physician assistants.
https://t.co/jKwuJudnBC

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Tobacco & Vapes Act: as of 29-10-26
-minimum age of sale of 18 for all nicotine products & zero nicotine vapes
-Ban on vending machines containing vapes/non-medicinal nicotine products
-Ban on free distribution of vapes & other consumer nicotine products
https://t.co/BaNQSD8VcI

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Deadline to feed back to @RCPhysicians and reject this deeply flawed and unsafe guidance on physicians' assistants practice has been extended to 2nd November.

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Pleased to see that the @rcphysicians is inviting feedback (by 15th October) to guide its response to the deeply flawed draft clinical protocol to allow physician assistants to see undifferentiated patients. Link below

[The BMJ @bmj_latest]

Allowing physician assistants to see undifferentiated patients would be irresponsible and poorly evidenced, says @TheBMA's Tom Dolphin

He warns that vague guidelines on supervision fail to address the safety concerns that have been repeatedly raised
https://t.co/mKKt7D00Ut

[John Chisholm @DrJohnChisholm]

The @lengreview clinical protocols for physician assistants, & the inadequate consultation scope, must be vigorously challenged by the Royal Colleges (including @RCPhysicians & @rcgp), as they are by @TheBMA. It's potentially dangerous if PAs see & treat undifferentiated patients

[Dr Asif Qasim MA PhD FRCP @DrAsifQasim]

Good to see clarity from @RCRadiologists in their PA response principles

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

“The BMA’s position is clear and without caveat – PAs must not assess, diagnose, or manage undifferentiated patients in any healthcare setting, and resident doctors (at any level) must not be responsible for their supervision.”

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Pleased to see that the @rcphysicians is inviting feedback (by 15th October) to guide its response to the deeply flawed draft clinical protocol to allow physician assistants to see undifferentiated patients. Link below

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Feedback: https://t.co/JScC99zksR /n

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

YES!

[Emma Weisblatt @Oldboatie]

@parthaskar @RCPhysicians @lengreview @DrLKVaughan @DrAsifQasim @respirologist @COPDdoc @doctor_oxford @Rezaidi @drpratikc @ShivaniM_KC @DrJoFranklin @DrSteveTaylor I’m not MRCP. But my comment is that assistants carrying out tasks given by doctors (and not seeing undifferentiated patients) don’t need more protocols.

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

100% this

[The BMA @TheBMA]

The BMA has written to Professor Leng objecting to draft clinical protocols permitting physician assistants to see patients who have not been assessed by a doctor.

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

It's flu vaccination season.
I've had mine, go get yours!

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Influenza continues to cause significant mortality and morbidity. Seasonal influenza vaccines reduce the severity of disease and prevent hospitalizations and death, especially among individuals at high risk. https://t.co/QKKWQCS4Wo #RespEd

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

You can set up a direct debit to the RNLI here: https://t.co/r3G5O9stlv

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

The Government is consulting on restricting the promotion of vapes, tobacco and other nicotine products. If you support this, please follow this link to respond and ensure they take action: https://t.co/jWBdHe4iv4

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

Genocide.

[UNICEF @UNICEF]

At least four children have been reported killed and many others injured in the Gaza Strip over the past five days.

Attacks have also destroyed a warehouse containing nutrition supplies and severely damaged a UNICEF-supported water facility, further undermining access to the essential services that children and families rely on. 

Details: https://t.co/K2KWceZfId

[Doctors’ Association UK @TheDA_UK]

Has your NHS organisation changed how it uses physician associates since the Leng Review?

If you have direct knowledge of local practice, tell DAUK. Responses can be named or unnamed.

https://t.co/Sl9d79Ogpk

Please share.

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

As Hopkinson put it: “The question for pro-pollution campaigners is ‘why do you hate children?’” https://t.co/QiHYGe8q4G

[Nick Hopkinson @COPDdoc]

There is an absolute wealth of evidence that air pollution is a major cause of ill health and premature death across the planet.
https://t.co/QiHYGe8q4G

[Dr Alexey Kulikov @KulikovUNIATF]

A recent study analyzing 10 years of data from Kashi, China, found that short-term exposure to #airpollution like PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide is significantly associated with increased 🏥 hospitalizations for #COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The risk was highest four days after exposure, and researchers identified particularly vulnerable groups, including younger adults, farmers, smokers, and patients with a history of severe 🫁 flare-ups, especially during cooler seasons.

While these findings highlight the critical need for targeted public #health interventions and sandstorm control in desert-affected regions, they also underscore the importance of personal protective measures for at-risk individuals, as even common urban pollutants can exacerbate respiratory conditions.

https://t.co/PU12ob7L6G