If new government policies never seem to bring waiting lists down, it could be because the NHS is literally "a system at the edge of chaos",

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in the world to affect women and is particularly lethal in developing countries.

There will be no doctors, nurses, traditional medical degrees or even major hospitals in the future, argues Professor R J Lilford and his colleagues in an article in the November Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Winners of the Society of Authors and the Royal Society of Medicine Book Awards 2001 were presented with their prizes by Sir Roger Bannister at a ceremony this evening at the Royal Society of Medicine.

Conference highlights include:
- Is the drug problem getting worse
- Government "reneging on commitments" to anti-smoking drive
- 'Designer drugs' on the way to treat alcohol addiction
- Cocaine 'vaccines' in development

Some forms of meningitis are still on the increase, particularly in developing countries.

The toughest issues faced by doctors today are to be discussed at The Royal Society of Medicine's conference Ethical Dilemmas at the Beginning and end of life on 15 October.

A new survey of medical students will suggest they have reason to be concerned about their lack of training in key practical skills such as inserting an intravenous drip, taking blood samples or suturing a wound.

The Royal Society of Medicine's Annual GP Forum once again brings experts from varied disciplines to report on their latest research.

Writing in the June Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Dr John Beale warns that future outbreaks of foot & mouth disease (FMD) will be "more likely" as the movement of people and goods continues to increase.

Recent reports have expressed concern that some elderly patients may miss out on treatment because they are assumed to be too old to benefit from it.

There has been controversy about the health benefits of Mozart's music ever since researchers claimed that listening to the K448 piano sonata improved spatial reasoning skills.

The global tuberculosis problem is getting worse - recent figures showed that London has more cases of TB now than it has had for over thirty years.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) "has been a great disappointment" in its efforts to make UK working conditions safe, according to Dr Harry Waldron, writing in the March Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

It is usually accepted that poverty is linked with poor health, particularly for children, but the issue is more complex than that.

In the February Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Anna Dixon, Anant Murthy and Dr Elias Mossialos raise concerns about the way insurers can use information from genetic tests.

Prison doctors face unique practical and ethical conflicts. The Royal Society of Medicine conference Dilemmas for clinical practice in custodial settings (30 January) will look at these issues, and discuss how prison healthcare has to adapt in the changing medical world.

The Royal Society of Medicine conference Counselling in Primary Health Care (29 January 2001) will bring together experts from all over the UK, to look at the issues facing counsellors and managers in a rapidly changing primary care setting.

Lung cancer seems ideal for routine screening. It is very common, occurs in identified high-risk groups, and is curable if detected early enough.