Medical Minefield

A row has broken out among doctors about new cholesterol-lowering injection inclisiran. Some GPs refuse to prescribe it saying there's not enough evidence to say it's safe and effective. Others, like Birmingham-based cardiologist Professor Derek Connolly, claims those who aren't on board are Luddites, and a bit like people who were scared of microwave ovens when they were launched. Follow Medical Minefield on Twitter @MedMinefield

Physiotherapy is a total waste of time... at least, that's what some doctors are saying for many people who are offered it to help ease aches and pains. So why are millions of us prescribed it every year? Health reporter Ethan Ennals reveals his own struggles with injuries and his frustration at lengthy and repeated courses of physiotherapy treatment that didn't make any difference. And Barney speaks to top GP Dr Mike Smith about why he thinks many patients end up in similar situations.Follow Medical Minefield on Twitter @MedMinefield

Nearly 300,000 women will now be offered a daily pill that cuts the risk of breast cancer in half, but top doctors worry that many patients are unaware of the debilitating side effects.Ethan Ennals speaks to GP and MoS columnist Dr Philippa Kaye about weighing up the benefits and risks of anastrozole.Meanwhile two patients recount what it is like to take the tablet.

Last month, the BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty told a Parliamentary inquiry that she lived in pain for three decades and was told by GPs to ‘suck it up’ before doctors finally diagnosed her with adenomyosis. Shockingly, she is not alone.This week, Ethan Ennals explores why the NHS has such a severe sexism problem. He speaks to GP and MoS columnist Dr Philippa Kaye who explains this isn’t just a male doctor problem – female clinicians can also fail to take women’s health as seriously as men’s. Meanwhile patient Fiona Jackson recounts a painful and terrifying coil-fitting which could have been avoided had her male GP listened to her concerns.

More than 150,000 Britons travelled to Turkey for a cosmetic op last year, but NHS surgeons report they are increasingly seeing patients who return from a trip with horrific complications, and there have now been 25 deaths. The team speak to obesity expert Professor David Kerrigan who warns that cut price Turkish gastric bypass ops can end in catastrophe. Follow us on X.com: @MedMinefieldmedicalminefield.com

NHS junior doctor Jatinder Hayre reveals the truth about physician associates, the new hospital workers who treat patients are just two years training. In his hospital, these low-skilled medics are bending the rules to write prescriptions - something only a doctor or highly qualified nurse is legally be allowed to do - and even performing spine procedures on patients. Is this really the answer to the waiting list crisis engulfing the post-pandemic health service?Follow us on X.com: @MedMinefieldmedicalminefield.com

From this month on, people born using a sperm bank in the UK who turn 18 will be able to find out the identity of their biological father because of a landmark change in the law back in 2005, barring anonymous donation. But what of those conceived before the change? This week Barney and award-winning health reporter Jo Macfarlane hear from Dr Joanna Rose who has spent the past 30 years searching for her 'real' dad. Now 51, she reveals that she's finally found him - but, while she is optimistic about finally unlocking the mysteries of her identity, others of her lost generation are consigned to being left in the dark about their origins.Follow us on X.com: @MedMinefieldmedicalminefield.com

This week Barney and Eve discuss the controversy that continues to rage around ultra-processed foods, and examine the truth about extraordinary claims that scientists are paid off by junk food companies to cover up the truth: that they're as harmful to our health as tobacco. They also speak to Kings College London psychiatry expert Professor Carmine Pariante and psychologist Kimberley Wilson about research that seems to show ultra-processed food has an impact on mental health. Follow us on Twitter @MedMinefieldSupport us at www.medicalminefield.com