Pulse articles from June 2009

Pulse archives from June 2009

BMA battles on eight key principles.(British Medical Association)(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... The BMA has officially launched its campaign to fight back against the Government's commercialisation agenda. As Pulse first revealed last month, Look After Our NHS is aiming to gather examples of the impact and cost of market-led NHS...

IN BRIEF: LMC campaign shortlisted.(Local Medical Committees )(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... The Londonwide LMCs PR team has been shortlisted for the Association of Healthcare Communicators Best Media Handling Award, after an anti- privatisation campaign launched last spring generated more than 110 articles in the regional and national...

Why ratings don't rate highly.(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... * Comparative statistical information on practices such as league tables can be of limited value, may `arouse hostility', prove difficult to interpret and may make patients anxious * `Soft' narrative information may be of greater value,...

MEDIA WATCH: THIS WEEK'S TOP... Scare story.(cancer patients undergoing treatment losing their fingerprints )(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... In a development that sounds like something from the new Star Trek film, patients on certain cancer treatments have found that their fingerprints have peeled off, claim reports from the Times, Daily Mail and BBC Online. A man undergoing...

MEDIA WATCH: THIS WEEK'S TOP... Miracle cure.(high fat diet to treat pediatric epilepsy)(Report)(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... A nine-year old child has been given a `dream diet' of pancakes, ice- cream and steak to treat her severe epilepsy, report the Daily Mail and Sun. The 80% fat diet has been recommended after she was admitted to hospital for seizures 20...

MEDIA WATCH: THIS WEEK'S TOP...most pointless research.(patient safety)(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... Closing emergency departments, taking patients for scenic `stacking' spins in ambulances and slashing the number of hospital beds to the bone may lead to reductions in patient safety, researchers at the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma,...

JOURNAL WATCH: Depression-diabetes link.(Brief article)
June 3, 2009... Depression increases the risk of developing diabetes, according to data from a UK study. The authors say their results suggest the idea that people with diabetes go on to develop depression may not be the whole picture - and that those...

PULSE IN FOCUS: Recriminations begin as GPs' survey losses mount up.(general practitioners)(Survey)
June 3, 2009... New dispute between Government and GPC as early survey results indicate losses of up to #9,000 are the norm By Gareth Iacobucci When Patricia Hewitt first unveiled proposals for a controversial new patient survey back in 2006, the...

LETTER: Why discharge stats flummox NHS managers.(Letter to the editor)
June 3, 2009... From Dr David Church Machynlleth, Powys For some time we've known for definite that NHS management don't really understand statistics (`Early discharge a false economy', pulsetoday.co.uk/news). In the old days, when I was a junior...

LETTER: How to silence our minor surgery critics.(Letter to the editor)
June 3, 2009... From Dr Soon Lim Watford, Hertfordshire The minor surgery DES covers more than just skin surgery and therefore comes under the scrutiny of the royal surgical colleges as well as the skin physicians (`We never wanted to ban GP minor...

PULSE CLINICAL: NEED TO KNOW - Asthma.(Report)
June 3, 2009... Respiratory physicians Dr Hasan Arshad and Dr Suresh Babu answer questions from GP Dr David Morris on `safer' steroids, long-acting Beta- agonists and making asthma action plans work 1 Which tests do you find most useful in diagnosing...

It's a beautiful game.(selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
June 3, 2009... Time to give SSRIs the boot - Phil has found a sure-fire way to put a grin on depressed patients' faces. Until next season, that is... The North-East is often, and monotonously, described as a hotbed of soccer. It's not, actually. To be...

Low-rating GPs to lose contracts.
June 10, 2009... Managers start legal moves to axe practices with `red' traffic-light ratings Exclusive By Gareth Iacobucci NHS managers have begun moves to terminate the practice contracts of GPs failing to meet stringent access targets, under...

DH delays 084 decision after `huge response'.(United Kingdom. Department of Health)(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... The Department of Health has been forced to delay a decision on whether to ban GP surgeries using 084 numbers after receiving an `exceptionally high' number of responses to its consultation, Pulse has learned. The DH had been due to...

Rosiglitazone doubles risk of heart failure.
June 10, 2009... Rosiglitazone does not increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, but does double the risk of heart failure, a new analysis shows. The study found 61 patients given rosiglitazone second line suffered heart failure causing...

MMR catch-up campaign has `a way to go'.
June 10, 2009... The GP-led MMR catch-up campaign has `still a way to go' to stem the increases in measles and mumps, say NHS managers. An NHS performance report shows the proportion of five- to 18-year-olds who have received two doses of the MMR vaccine...

GPs warned of serious PPI and clopidogrel interaction.
June 10, 2009... GPs face mass switching of gastroprotective drugs as regulators warn PPIs could make clopidogrel less effective By Nigel Praities GPs must consider switching the gastroprotective medication of hundreds of thousands of patients after...

Advice on potential interaction.(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... * The need for PPI therapy in patients who are also taking clopidogrel should be reviewed at their next appointment: only use these medicines concomitantly when essential * Prescribe PPIs strictly in line with their licensed indications ...

Burnham named health secretary.(Andy Burnham )(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... Former culture secretary Andy Burnham has been named as the new health secretary, in a wide-ranging Cabinet reshuffle that has seen a full- scale ministerial clearout at the Department of Health. Mr Burnham, who served as health minister...

GPs in swine flu epicentre tell of battle against virus.
June 10, 2009... GPs at the centre of the biggest swine flu outbreak in Europe have told how they have been working round the clock to deal with hundreds of potential cases, as a stark picture emerges of the impact a pandemic will have across the profession....

GPC criticised over survey deal.
June 10, 2009... Negotiators face pressure over deal they signed up to on patient survey, but claim they agreed key safeguards By Gareth Iacobucci The GPC is claiming it had an agreement with the Government that results of the GP Patient Survey would...

What is the dispute about?
June 10, 2009... * GP leaders insist they had an agreement with the Government that, for the two payment questions on the survey, the proportion of responses should be high enough to have a 95% chance the `true' result would be within 7% of the measured result...

SCREENING: Warning on vascular checks.
June 10, 2009... Half of all patients tested under the national cardiovascular screening programme will be diagnosed with diabetes or dysglycaemia, an analysis predicts. UK researchers called for the Government to address the workload implications for GPs...

GMC cases rise after civil standard switch.(General Medical Council)
June 10, 2009... Exclusive By Steve Nowottny The number of doctors referred by GMC case examiners to fitness-to- practise hearings increased dramatically last year - prompting warnings that the switch to the civil standard of proof may be putting GPs...

THERAPY: Anti-diabetes drugs backed.
June 10, 2009... New data has confirmed the efficacy of two anti-diabetes drugs newly recommended by NICE. Studies published at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans found sitagliptin and exenatide were both viable treatments. A...

Consultant fees outweigh savings.
June 10, 2009... Firms hired by NHS to advise on commissioning make projected #17.5m savings - but are paid #39.4m By Gareth Iacobucci The Government's drive to use consultants to advise PCTs on commissioning primary care services has cost millions...

Dieticians set to be given script rights.(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... The UK drug regulator is preparing proposals to extend prescribing rights to a raft of non-medical professionals such as physiotherapists, dieticians and chiropodists, Pulse can reveal. The MHRA said proposals to ease restrictions on...

Quality inquiry `a weapon'.
June 10, 2009... The King's Fund's inquiry into quality in general practice will be used as a `weapon to bash GPs with', GPC chair Dr Laurence Buckman has warned. In an exclusive interview with Pulse on the eve of the LMCs conference, Dr Buckman revealed...

NICE ditches exercise stress test for angina.
June 10, 2009... Warnings of treatment delays after draft guidance say test is `not helpful' By Nigel Praities NICE has ditched the exercise stress test for diagnosing patients with suspected angina in new preliminary guidance. Draft chest pain...

Chest pain guidance.(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... * Refer patient to hospital as an emergency if acute coronary syndrome is suspected and the patient has chest pain or the resting ECG is abnormal or not available * Carry out a clinical assessment and resting ECG in patients with stable...

IN BRIEF: DH dismisses MMR call.
June 10, 2009... The Government has dismissed calls to make the MMR vaccination compulsory for all children attending school. Former BMA chair Sir Sandy Macara had called for the change in a motion for debate at the annual BMA conference later this month....

IN BRIEF: SGPC backs private ban.(Scottish General Practitioners Committee )(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... The BMA in Scotland has called on the Scottish Parliament to accept proposals in the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill to prevent commercial companies from holding primary medical services contracts. Dr Dean Marshall, Scottish GPC...

IN BRIEF: Patient power campaign.(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... A coalition of four leading medical bodies has launched a high-profile campaign aimed at giving patients a greater say in how practices are run. The BMA, RCGP, NHS Alliance and National Association of Patient Participation have joined...

Tories `wrong to put faith in NHS market'.
June 10, 2009... Conservative party plans to simplify the QOF and introduce more market- based reforms into the NHS are ill-defined and unlikely to be any more successful than Labour's, says a leading primary care expert. Professor Chris Ham, professor of...

MEDIA WATCH: THIS WEEK'S TOP... Scare story.(Brown tail moth caterpillars causing allergy)(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... Brown tail moth caterpillars may not sound like the deadliest of creatures but they are on the march across England, report the Daily Mail and Mirror. Normally confined to the South-East, these hairy creatures, which can cause a severe...

MEDIA WATCH: THIS WEEK'S TOP... Miracle cure.(eating curry prevents dementia)(Report)(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... In a boost to balti lovers everywhere, a study reported by BBC News online and in the Guardian has shown spices such as turmeric can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The Duke University study shows people who eat curry two to three...

MEDIA WATCH: THIS WEEK'S TOP...most pointless research.(risk of child injuries when adults are drunk)(Report)(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... The BMJ contained a stern warning over the health risks of drinking and bouncing this summer. Research from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee showed the risk of children being injured rose considerably when they went on trampolines with adults who...

JOURNAL WATCH: Stroke recurrence guide.
June 10, 2009... GPs can use the ABCD2 risk score to predict stroke recurrences within a day of a TIA, according to a UK study. Researchers at the University of Oxford studied 1,247 individuals after a first TIA and determined the 6- , 12- and 24-hour risk of...

JOURNAL WATCH: Mum-daughter BMD link.(bone mineral density )(Report)(Brief article)
June 10, 2009... Bone mineral density between mothers and daughters is strongly correlated, a study by Japanese researchers concludes. Age, BMD, height, body weight and lifestyles were studied in 387 mother- and-daughter pairs. Results showed the BMD of...

JOURNAL WATCH: Triglycerides cancer risk.
June 10, 2009... Elevated triglycerides are a risk factor for endometrial cancer, according to a Norwegian study. The research examined the association between endometrial cancer risk and serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C in...

JOURNAL WATCH: Obesity link to asthma.
June 10, 2009... Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with asthma-like symptoms, according to data from a large Danish study. BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio of 4,516 people who participated in a health examination between 1999 and...

Care plans rushed in `with little evidence'.
June 10, 2009... Government ignored disappointing results of GP care plan analysis By Nigel Praities Government plans for GPs to offer all patients with long-term conditions personal care plans have suffered a major blow - after key advisers admitted...

Access warning on email consultations.
June 10, 2009... GPs who offer patients email consultations may find it hard to pick and choose exactly who has access to the service, the first practice to pilot the scheme has warned. Connecting for Health had claimed GPs would have complete control over...

Increasing referrals put the squeeze on PCTs' budgets.
June 10, 2009... GP referrals to hospital are continuing to increase steadily, while rising referrals between consultants and from other healthcare professionals are also putting pressure on PCT budgets. The latest Government figures show GP referrals were...

PULSEINTERVIEW: Buckman braces himself for annual visit to lion's den.(General Practitioners Committee chairperson Dr Laurence Buckman)(Interview)
June 10, 2009... As GPC chair prepares for a grilling at this week's LMCs conference, he looks back over a turbulent 12 months By Steve Nowottny At 9:50am this Thursday morning, GPC chair Dr Laurence Buckman has to give a progress report to his boss....

EDITORIAL: A dangerously crude crackdown.(Editorial)
June 10, 2009... Red is for danger, and by that count GP practices must be dangerous places indeed. PCTs across England are busy preparing traffic-light ratings of practices, under a Government-mandated programme of contractual reviews, and almost everyone...

VOX POP: Is the NHS in your area prepared for a swine flu pandemic?
June 10, 2009... With experts predicting a more severe outbreak of swine flu in the autumn, we ask GPs if services in their area will be able to cope Dr Adam Pringle GP in Telford, Shropshire `Prepared? Maybe. Able to cope? Almost certainly not. If...

This flawed survey is sucking cash from most-needy practices.
June 10, 2009... Practices in deprived areas need extra support and funding to help them cope with the complex needs of their patients, yet the GP Patient Survey is draining resources away from them, warns Dr Zara Aziz The GP Patient Survey, which has...

PULSECLINICAL: PIT FALLS IN PRESCRIBING - Alcohol.
June 10, 2009... Continuing his series on prescribing problems Professor Hugh McGavock discusses two issues associated with alcohol use and misuse Alcohol, the liver and prescribing Previous generations, when offering a drink, often asked `what's your...

PULSECLINICAL: Lesion on the finger.(Case study)
June 10, 2009... A pregnant woman was worried about caring for her baby with this lesion on her finger. Dr Mike Wyndham describes another case The patient This 29-year-woman in the latter stages of pregnancy came to surgery one morning with the care of...

PULSECLINICAL: NEED TO KNOW - Allergy.
June 10, 2009... Allergy consultant Dr Alaisdair Stewart answers Dr Linden Ruckert`s questions on the hygiene hypothesis, choosing an antihistamine and RAST testing 1 The prevalence of allergy does seem to be increasing - including onset in small children...

PULSECLINICAL: The Pill check.
June 10, 2009... A routine follow-up for the combined pill (COC) is more than a chance to catch up, it's an opportunityfor sexual health promotion and safety netting, says sexual health GPSI Dr Meg Thomas 1 Check the patient is comfortable with her...

BUSINESS REPORT: Managing the practice team - Employing practice staff.
June 10, 2009... Dr Gary Calver explains how employment patterns have changed in recent years - and advises on how to build up your practice team What are the current models for employing staff at practices? The most common model is to employ staff...

BUSINESS REPORT: Getting the most out of your practice team.
June 10, 2009... Our expert panel provides advice on getting the right mix of skills, organising training and offering flexible working opportunities Use training plan for each staff member Matt Green managing director of medical training provider...

BUSINESS REPORT: Managing staff when finances are tight.(Report)
June 10, 2009... Balancing the viability of the practice with the needs of your staff can be tough. Andrew Lockhart-Mirams offers some advice 1 Freeze salaries if necessary It may not be popular, but freezing salaries is a perfectly sensible business...

BUSINESS REPORT: Which GP model is right for your practice?(general practitioners)
June 10, 2009... Nowadays, GPs work at practices under a variety of models. Here, Nigel Praities examines the pros and cons of the different options Partnership How it works A partnership is a legal agreement where GPs co-own a practice and share...

PULSE SERVICES: Why retirement planning for children should start now.
June 10, 2009... With the young adults of tomorrow facing such fierce financial pressures, Stuart Smith looks at how establishing a sound pension foundation for them will help to bring peace of mind These days, children face an uncertain financial future....

COPPERFIELD: No access nonsense for me.(Column)
June 10, 2009... Proud to have the worst access rates in the county, Copperfield explains why he's willing to lose a couple of grand not to bother with trivia I don't often get bragging rights so I'm making the most of these. My practice has the worst...

GPs left in lurch as pandemic hits.
June 17, 2009... As UK suffers first fatality, investigation reveals huge gaps in PCO planning Exclusive By Steve Nowottny Primary care organisations are struggling to offer GPs support in coping with what is expected to be a huge surge in swine...

Swine flu - the unresolved issues.
June 17, 2009... Supplies: GPs facing postcode lottery over supplies of personal protective equipment, with some trusts supplying practices and others telling GPs to buy their own Mobilising reserves: PCTs are supposed to be drawing up lists of locums and...

GPs line up to appeal patient survey results.
June 17, 2009... Up to two-thirds of GP practices may appeal their results from this year's patient survey, early figures from Scotland suggest. Some 35 out of 59 practices in Ayrshire and Arran and 43 out of 57 practices in Fife have decided to appeal,...

Queen's honour for NHS contract negotiator.
June 17, 2009... Dr Barbara Hakin, a former GP and chief negotiator for NHS Employers - who presided over the contract negotiations that saw three successive pay freezes for most GPs - has been made a dame in the 2009 Queen's honours list. Dr Tom Coffey, a...

BP measured without rolling up a sleeve.
June 17, 2009... GPs can measure blood pressure accurately using automated devices without patients having to roll up their sleeves, conclude researchers. The study in 133 patients - presented at the European Meeting on Hypertension in Milan this month -...

GPs warned: cut referrals or bear brunt of NHS cutbacks.
June 17, 2009... With NHS facing #15bn shortfall, leading consultancy firm warns GPs must take on hospital work to preserve funding By Gareth Iacobucci GPs must take on new work from hospitals and rein back on referrals, or risk bearing the brunt of...

How private firms are advising NHS.
June 17, 2009... FESC Launched in 2007, 14 firms including Bupa, UnitedHealth and Tribal providing external support for NHS commissioning. So far has saved #17.5m but cost #39.4m. PBC development framework Five-strong list of firms launched this...

GPs have vascular screening doubts.
June 17, 2009... More than a third of GPs feel there is not enough evidence to support the national vascular screening programme and another third are unsure, a Pulse survey reveals. A poll of 260 GPs found 37% did not agree that vascular checks - which...

Diuretics `have no place' as first-line therapy in high BP.
June 17, 2009... Thaizide diuretics should not be used first-line for hypertension as the evidence for their benefit is `paltry' and effects seen in surgery do not translate into 24-hour readings, a major analysis has found. Research presented last weekend...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: Leaders plan new OOH role for GPs.(Conference news)
June 17, 2009... Negotiatiors lay groundwork for GPs to take back OOH responsibility should Tories win general election By Nigel Praities GPC leaders have begun to plan how a new GP-led model for out-of-hours services would work under the...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: Path to GPs taking back OOH care.(Conference news)
June 17, 2009... OCT 07 Conservatives say they would put GPs in chargeof commissioning out-of- hours cover for their patients JUN 08 LMCs conference votes to `consider' taking back OOH care if it is funded adequately SEPT 08 Healthcare...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009 - In quotes: what your representatives said.(Conference news)(Brief article)
June 17, 2009... Dr Paul Abbott, a GP in Boscastle, Cornwall, on extended hours `Our patients don't want to go. We don't want to be there. Frankly we would all rather be at home eating dinner.' Dr Frances Cranfield, a GP in Welwyn Garden City,...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: LMCs insist on statistical assurances.(local medical committees' )(Brief article)
June 17, 2009... LMCs have demanded cast-iron assurances over the statistical validity of the patient survey, in light of the huge cash losses being reported by practices. A motion passed at the conference demanded that patient surveys `must have...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: College's about-turn over revalidation.(Conference news)
June 17, 2009... The RCGP has told LMC leaders it is to rethink its controversial learning credits system for use in revalidation, after finding it baffled grassroots GPs. Professor Mike Pringle, RCGP lead on revalidation, told the conference that the...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: Buckman offers olive branch to PM.(Conference news)
June 17, 2009... GPC chair Dr Laurence Buckman offered an olive branch to ministers in his keynote speech, asking: `Why don't you just work with us?' Despite anger over the patient survey and a number of other initiatives, delegates adopted an unusually...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: Fierce infighting over QOF prevalence losses.(Conference news)
June 17, 2009... London LMCs angrily attack negotiators for failing to model new formula By Steve Nowottny GPs facing huge losses through the scrapping of the QOF square root formula clashed angrily with GPC leaders at this year's LMCs conference. ...

Care record safeguards `not enough to protect privacy'.
June 17, 2009... GP leaders have renewed calls for practices to boycott the Department of Health's rollout of electronic patient records, claiming recent safeguards do not go far enough to protect patient confidentiality. LMCs voted in favour of a motion...

LMCS CONFERENCE 2009: LMCs oppose traffic-light rankings.
June 17, 2009... Attempts to use traffic light ratings to rank GP practices in league tables and threaten some with closure must be strongly opposed by the GPC, the conference was told. LMC leaders passed a motion claiming that the use of balanced...

EARLY DISCHARGE: Call for GPs to be paid for early discharge workload.
June 17, 2009... GPs swamped as a result of hospitals' early discharge policies must be funded for the extra workload, LMC leaders have demanded. The motion - passed unanimously - called for extra resources to follow the Government's programme to move care...

IN BRIEF: `No confidence' in NICE.(national institute for clinical excellence)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 17, 2009... LMC leaders delivered a unanimous vote of no confidence in NICE, saying it did not have an `adequate understanding of primary care' and it did not have the capacity to manage any changes to the QOF. The motion added that any changes it made to...

IN BRIEF: New partners incentives.(Brief article)
June 17, 2009... The GP contract should be rewritten to provide practices with incentives to take on new partners, LMCs resolved. In a session looking at the future of the GP profession, a motion was passed calling for the GPC and NHS Employers to develop a...

IN BRIEF: No switch to Liverpool.(Brief article)
June 17, 2009... Dr Andrew Mimnagh's call for the LMC's conference to be moved from London to the 2008 European City of Culture, Liverpool, was defeated after the GPC treasurer said it would have significant budget implications. The Sefton LMC chair's claims...

NHS study backs potent statins for first-line use.
June 17, 2009... Branded options `better than simvastatin' for acute coronary syndrome By Lilian Anekwe Use of potent but more expensive statins is more cost-effective than standard simvastatin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome, an...

Key findings of the economic evaluation.
June 17, 2009... * Rosuvastatin 40mg/day achieves the greatest percentage reduction (56%) from baseline, followed by atorvastatin 80mg (52%), simvastatin 80mg (45%) and simvastatin 40mg (37%) * Simvastatin 80mg, atorvastatin 80mg and rosuvastatin 40mg would...

Political agenda to dominate QOF.
June 17, 2009... Only clinical indicators that fit the Government's political agenda for primary care will be included in the new NICE-led QOF, the institute has declared. An interim process guide, setting out the key steps in the development of new...

GP cancer diagnosis to face scrutiny.
June 17, 2009... GPs are facing even closer scrutiny of cancer referrals and use of diagnostic tests as part of a national audit of cancer diagnosis in primary care. The audit - to be run jointly by the RCGP and the Department of Health - will involve...