Ruairidh Milne

@ruairidhm.bsky.social

1.4K followers 100 following 110 posts

Long Covid since March 2020.
“Nothing about me without me” - doesn't seem unreasonable.
Previously: health research, public health, technology assessment and appraisal
Also some Shetland!

Videos

Economics 37%

Public Health 23%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 1d

We are building a resource hub that will support educators of children and young people with Long Covid and overlapping illness.

Thanks to all our #volunteers who make this possible.

www.longcovidkids.org/education-pr...

#Education #Inclusion #EquitableEducation #SEND #Disability

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Harlan M. Krumholz @hmkyale.bsky.social · 1d

Do clinical trials expire?
New heart attack studies show that evidence from 1980s may not apply to patients in 2025.
Beta blockers are a case study in how medicine evolves, and how slowly our evidence base often keeps up.
My latest Substack:
neverdelegateunderstanding.substack.com/p/do-clinica...

Do Clinical Trials Expire?

What Beta Blockers Teach Us About How Medicine Learns

neverdelegateunderstanding.substack.com

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 4d

1/ "Nisreen Alwan, a public health specialist at the University of Southampton, UK, also wants to see more research characterising the public health burden of post-infection conditions."...
#LongCovid
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Long-COVID research just got a big funding boost: will it find new treatments?

The German government has committed half a billion euros for research on long COVID and other post-infection syndromes.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne, Els Torreele

Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 7d

7/ The UK must choose:
🔹 A public health system balancing innovation & affordability
OR
🔹 A US-style model of soaring costs & widening inequalities.
Transparency & accountability are non-negotiable.
Read the full article here: www.bmj.com/content/391/...

Who are the winners and losers of the UK-US pharma deal—it depends which side you believe

Behind the UK’s “landmark” pharma deal with the US lies a costly surrender, with higher drug prices, weaker safeguards, and vague promises of investment, write Els Torreele and Martin McKee When the...

www.bmj.com

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 7d

6/ Big selling point - increase in NICE cost effectiveness threshold. But £30k to £35k a 16% increase and if prices increase by 25%, well ... something commentators seem to have missed (emphasising need to question what one is told)

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne, Els Torreele

Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 7d

🧵1/ The UK-US pharma deal is being sold as a “landmark” win for patients and innovation. But behind the headlines lies a costly surrender, as @elstorreele.bsky.social & I explain @bmj.com

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Kieran Walshe @kieranwalshe.bsky.social · 7d

Good report from @nuffieldtrust.org.uk and @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on the abolition of NHS England. Strikes a sceptical tone about rationale, process and likely impact. I'd probably be more sceptical. Full report at www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/defaul.... I liked this graphic!

Ruairidh Milne @ruairidhm.bsky.social · 7d

thank you both for what you do!

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Long Covid Support @longcovidsupport.bsky.social · 8d

Did you catch Mike Ormerod’s powerful testimony at the Covid Inquiry last week?

Mike has Long Covid and volunteers with Long Covid Support. He gave evidence on behalf of Long Covid groups at Module 9 “Economic Response”.

Standout quotes (there are many!) Part 1 🧵👇

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Alison Hill @dralisonhill.bsky.social · 9d

This year has broken wind and solar energy generation records.

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne, David D. Buck

Nuffield Trust @nuffieldtrust.org.uk · 11d

We've responded to reports that the NHS will pay a higher price for branded new medicines as a condition of a UK-US trade deal.

Read the statement from @sallygainsbury.bsky.social 👇

Nuffield Trust responds to reports that NHS will pay more for branded new medicines

Sally Gainsbury responds to reports that the NHS will pay a higher price for branded new medicines.

www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk

Reposted by Rita Rubin, Ruairidh Milne

Hilda Bastian @hildabast.bsky.social · 12d

More progress internationally on next generation Covid vaccines – with a setback in the US:

- More good news on the vaccine for people with immunosuppression

- Progress in intranasal vaccine trials in France & the US ....1/2

absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/11/30/m...

More Progress on Next Generation Covid Vaccines, and a Setback in the US (Update No 35) - Absolutely Maybe

Last month’s update ran long, so this one covers less than a month – but there’s still a lot of news. There…

absolutelymaybe.plos.org

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 16d

New data that supports metformin as a potential intervention to reduce #LongCovid www.authorea.com/users/100423...

Metformin at the time of Covid-19 infection and risk of Long Covid: A Target Trial Emulation Study

Background: Our objective was to evaluate metformin prescribed at the time of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the risk of developing Long Covid (LC) in electronic health record data. Methods: We conducted a n...

www.authorea.com

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Nikki Smith @nikki-s.bsky.social · 16d

📣 Shout out to Mike Ormerod from Long Covid Support who is giving evidence to the @ukcovid-19inquiry.bsky.social today. Thank you Mike for all your incredible hard work, despite your own battle with #LongCovid.

Link for #CovidInquiry livestream below. ⬇️

Agenda for Wednesday 26th November 2025 for the UK Covid Inquiry. Text reads Start time
10:00 am
Morning
The Rt Hon. Baroness Thérèse Coffey DBE PC (former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)
Afternoon
The Rt Hon. Baroness Therese Coffey DBE PC (former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) Continued Mike Ormerod Attending remotely (on behalf of Long Covid Support)
End time
4:00 pm

Reposted by John Drury, Ruairidh Milne

Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 19d

Let’s never forget rationing ventilators and Zoom funerals. Boris Johnson and his cronies partied while our loved ones lay dying alone. COVID-19 was the worst public health crisis in a century. We should have locked down earlier. To some of us, PPE was not a get-rich-quick commodity.

Tweet announcing death of Trish’s mother from covid on 28 Dec 2020

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Elizabeth Stokoe , and 3 more Stephan Lewandowsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Elizabeth Stokoe, Martin Paul Eve, Ruairidh Milne, Christina Pagel

Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 19d

Powerful piece by @drrachelclarke.com on the COVID inquiry. Those who say it’s easy to be wise in hindsight are being utterly disingenuous. Many of us spoke out at the time, and it’s in the public record.
@independentsage.bsky.social

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

I’ll never forget the horror of the Covid wards | The Observer

observer.co.uk

Ruairidh Milne @ruairidhm.bsky.social · 20d

"Increasing NHS drug costs would cause thousands of preventable deaths, widen health inequalities and harm the British economy – whilst doing nothing to encourage genuine life sciences investment"

Greg Fell @felly500.bsky.social · 20d

www.doctors.net.uk/news/caving-...

just saying..........
nobody really cares about detail thesedays, or experts. But Karl really IS an expert who has done the detail.

The UK caving to pressure to pay more for drugs will cost lives

Increasing NHS drug costs would cause thousands of preventable deaths, widen health inequalities and harm the British economy – whilst doing nothing to encourage genuine life sciences investment, argu...

www.doctors.net.uk

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Greg Fell @felly500.bsky.social · 20d

www.doctors.net.uk/news/caving-...

just saying..........
nobody really cares about detail thesedays, or experts. But Karl really IS an expert who has done the detail.

The UK caving to pressure to pay more for drugs will cost lives

www.doctors.net.uk

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 21d

“TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE”, VALIDATION FOR PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID
The Covid-19 Inquiry has found that the UK Government should have acknowledged Long Covid and made the risks clear to the public. It has found that by Oct 2020 the UK Government knew #LongCovid was a significant health and policy issue.

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Long Covid Support @longcovidsupport.bsky.social · 22d

1/ The Covid Inquiry's Module 2 report confirms critical failures at the highest levels of government, failures that have left millions with Long Covid and inadequate support.

We've drafted a press release in response:

www.longcovid.org/impact/news/...

Long Covid Support

To learn more visit LongCovid.org

www.longcovid.org

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Ross Mackenzie @rossmackenzie.bsky.social · 22d

Afternoon low tide on Quendale Beach #Shetland

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, John Drury, Nicola J. Cooper , and 5 more Brigitte Nerlich, John Drury, Nicola J. Cooper, Scott L. Greer, Dina Balabanova, Elizabeth Stokoe, Ruairidh Milne, Christina Pagel

Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 22d

1/ How does the COVID Inquiry's Module 2 report align with what we said in @independentsage.bsky.social at the time? A 🧵on Transparency, Early & Decisive Action, Scientific Advice, Integration of Social & Economic Harms, Communication and Behavioural Science, Governance, Data and Preparedness

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Ross Mackenzie @rossmackenzie.bsky.social · 23d

Snow on Quendale Beach #Shetland #SnowDay

Reposted by Gordon Hodson, Ruairidh Milne

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 23d

3 papers @thelancet.com today on the health dangers of ultraprocessed foods and a call for action
The health risks
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Chris Ponting @cgatist.bsky.social · 26d

Available to buy now: One Red Leaf at a Time Greetings Cards.

All proceeds go to our #MEcfs research @uoe-igc.bsky.social.

Thank you @drjogreer.bsky.social & Dr Clare Raynor!

theredtreeandme.substack.com/p/one-red-le...
#oneredleafatatime

One Red Leaf at a Time Greetings Cards - Raising funds for research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Since so many of you have asked, greetings cards featuring images from the Red Leaf Creative Collaborative are now available to purchase.

theredtreeandme.substack.com

Ruairidh Milne @ruairidhm.bsky.social · 27d

And Fair Isle visible to greet you too - made it!

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Prof Jim McManus, OCDS, D.Sc,FFPH,FBPsS, @jimmcmanusph.bsky.social · Nov 11

In the BMJ a new umbrella review of systematic reviews found no clear evidence of any link between maternal acetaminophen (Paracetamol/Tylenol) use and autism or ADHD in children @bmj.com

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Nov 10

2 #LongCovid randomized trials published today
—Online cognitive training, negative
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
—Resistance training, modest benefit
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne

Greg Fell @felly500.bsky.social · Nov 9

2025 Lancet Countdown on health & climate change
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

plenty of countries that spend significantly more on fossil fuel subsidies than their healthcare budget

Esp see heat related mortality indicator (new)

& air quality related mortality from burning fossil fuel