Pulse articles from October 2005

Pulse archives from October 2005

Revealed: women GPs shut out from corridors of power.
October 1, 2005... Women GPs are grossly under-represented in almost every organisation with influence over the shape and future of general practice, an exhaustive investigation by Pulse has found. Sexist attitudes, macho politics and a lack of family...

Equal? You are joking.(women general practitioners)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Dr Ethie Kong believes an `old boys' network' still prevents women from taking high-profile positions. Difficulties balancing home and practice life also make it harder for women GPs to take on political roles, she says. Dr Kong, a GP...

Welcome to your new Pulse.
October 1, 2005... Observant readers will have noticed something different about Pulse this week. The best-read GP publication has a new logo, new typefaces and a new layout. From front to back, articles have been reorganised into a more coherent structure,...

Political scene is virtually devoid of women GPs.
October 1, 2005... GP politics at a local and national level is virtually a woman-free zone, Pulse's investigation reveals. At the very top, just six of 25 GPs on the BMA council are women. Of the 56 voting members on the BMA's GP committee, only 12 are...

Just 13 per cent of PEC posts have been taken by women.(professional executive committees)
October 1, 2005... Female GPs are completely disengaged from the decision-making process in most primary care organisations. Pulse's investigation found that half of PCTs in England have no women GPs at all on their professional executive committees. Overall,...

Sexist putdowns we must endure.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... `Has she had a boob job?' and `Women don't really pull their weight' are two of the sexist comments Dr Fay Wilson has encountered during her 21-year career in medical politics. `They must be having an affair for her to take that line, she...

IN BRIEF: Statin effect continuous.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Statins cut the five-year incidence of major coronary events and stroke by about one-fifth per mmol/l reduction in LDL cholesterol, concludes a new meta-analysis. The study, published online by The Lancet this week, also concluded there...

IN BRIEF: GPs worth #197.50/hour.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The BMA has increased its suggested fees for the majority of non-NHS work by 12 per cent. The move takes the price of an hour of GP's time up to #197.50 from #176.50. Suggested fees for simple certificates without examination have...

IN BRIEF: Scots' health inequality.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The greatest increases in Scotland's 20-year growth in health inequalities have occurred in the last decade, according to a new study published online in Social Science and Medicine. `Increases have been particularly great in remote rural...

IN BRIEF: Pulse aids White Paper.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Department of Health is to use the Great Pulse Patient Survey to inform its forthcoming primary care White Paper. The survey of almost 10,000 patients, demonstrated the high value people place on the continuity of care traditional general...

IN BRIEF: Epilepsy drugs withdrawn.
October 1, 2005... Two epilepsy drugs have been discontinued in the UK in the space of a week. Zarontin and Emeside capsules, both forms of ethosuximide, are to be withdrawn and there will no longer be a solid oral formulation. GPs are recommended to use liquid...

IN BRIEF: Flexible retirement plan.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Government is considering `flexible' retirement for public sector workers between the ages of 60 and 70. The plans will be contained in a framework agreement on pensions, expected at the end of the year. The framework will set the tone...

IN BRIEF: New syndrome definition.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The International Diabetes Federation has newly defined the metabolic syndrome to help identify people at high risk of CVD and diabetes. The definition outlines criteria that must be at least partially met, with central obesity, measured...

IN BRIEF: UK worst on hep C care.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The UK is the worst country in Europe at diagnosing and treating Hepatitis C, a report from the Hepatitis C Trust concludes. The charity said only 14 per cent of people infected were being diagnosed and 100,000 lives were being put at risk. ...

NICE to extend statin use to risk of stroke.
October 1, 2005... NICE plans to extend statin use to up to three million further patients in a move that will have huge implications for drug costs and GP workload. The institute wants to make statins available for preventing all cardiovascular disease...

GP `health MOTs' for at-risk patients.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... GPs will have to carry out annual `health MOTs' on patients identified as being at risk of ill-health, under plans revealed by Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt. Teams of NHS staff would go on door-to-door missions in deprived areas to get...

Met Office forecasts a COPD front.(chronic obstructive lung disease)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Dr Mark Levy has worked with the Met Office to develop an early warning system for patients with COPD. The system alerts GPs up to two weeks in advance of cold, wet weather that can cause symptoms to worsen - allowing them to provide...

Registrars to face 14 key GP tests.
October 1, 2005... Prospective GPs will have to prove their ability in 14 clinical, interpersonal and management areas under a proposed new curriculum for the MRCGP. The draft curriculum, released by the RCGP this week and set to come into force in 2007,...

GP reaction to the new MRCGP curriculum.(member of the Royal College of General Practitioners)
October 1, 2005... `It's good. In the past there's been no real reference tool for registrars.' Dr David Wrigley, a GP in Carnforth, Lancashire, and a member of the GPC registrars subcommittee `The more knowledge and experience GPs have the better able...

RCGP moving to new head office.(Royal College of General Practitioners)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The RCGP is to leave its historic head office overlooking Hyde Park in favour of new purpose-built premises elsewhere in London. The new building will house a specially designed assessment centre to deliver the revamped MRCGP exam. ...

GPs winning MMR uptake battle.(Measles-mumps-rubella )
October 1, 2005... GPs are finally reversing the damaging slump in MMR uptake, reveal three new sets of Government figures GPs finally appear to be winning the battle to persuade parents of the benefits of MMR. Three new sets of figures provide the first...

GP workload fear on renal disease.
October 1, 2005... The drive to systematically identify patients with chronic kidney disease will lead to a huge surge in GP workload, a new study concludes. GP researchers developed an automated search of practice records to identify patients with the...

Ban on GP child antidepressant use.
October 1, 2005... GPs should not initiate prescribing of antidepressants in under-18s under any circumstances, NICE has ruled. New NICE guidelines on depression in children and young people have banned use of antidepressants altogether in mild depression...

ARBs do not increase risk of infarction.(angiotensin receptor blockers)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Angiotensin receptor blockers do not have an adverse effect on risk of myocardial infarction, according to a new systematic review. The study, published online by the BMJ, looked at 19 studies on 31,569 patients and concluded ARBs did not...

Self-management benefits in diabetes and BP control.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Self-management programmes produce `clinically important benefits' in diabetes and hypertension, but not for osteoporosis, a meta-analysis concludes. But the study - published in the latest Annals of Internal Medicine - cautioned it was...

We need more staff.(hospital bookings by patients)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Dr Andy Paton believes the workload demands of Choose and Book mean he will have to take on an extra member of staff. He said the time involved, even if the actual booking process was done outside the consultation room, was still...

No escape from Choose & Book.(patients rights to choose hospitals)
October 1, 2005... GPs must still offer patients a choice of hospitals even if their Choose and Book IT system does not work properly. Folders of information are to be sent to practices by PCTs to ensure they meet a Government target to `manually' offer a...

Attack on media over GP's death.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... An inquest into the death of Pembrokeshire GP Dr Paul Goodson has concluded that he killed himself with a morphine injection. Dr Goodson's body was discovered last month in a local beauty spot, Scoveston Woods, Neyland. Michael...

Help for ill GPs.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... GPs in Northern Ireland should be able to access occupational health services from this month. Practice staff have been able to access an occupational health scheme since January this year but a pilot scheme from this month will enable GPs...

MediaWatch: `Cold cure nasal spray'.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE STORY A new nasal spray is the first `cure' for the common cold, the Daily Mail, Telegraph and Times report. THE SOURCE Procter and Gamble launched a new nasal spray - Vicks First Defence - claiming it forms a layer of gel at...

MediaWatch: `Don't forget green tea'.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE STORY Green tea could help protect against Alzheimer's disease, the Daily Mail and BBC News Online suggest. THE SOURCE Researchers from the University of South Florida found a component in green tea - EGCG - could prevent...

MediaWatch: `Farms a health-hazard'.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE STORY Exposure to pesticides is endangering people who live near farms, all the newpapers report. THE SOURCE An official inquiry by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution called for more research into the link between...

MediaWatch: `New osteoporosis pill'.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE STORY A once-a-month pill will help fight osteoporosis, The Times, Daily Mail and BBC News Online report. THE SOURCE Drug companies Roche and GlaxoSmithKline jointly launched Bonviva (ibandronic acid), a new bisphosphonate and...

NHS Direct cuts calls to GPs.(National Health Service )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... NHS Direct has reduced demand on out-of-hours GP services, the biggest study into the nurse-led helpline finds. The study analysed the impact of the service's first three years of operation on more than 100 GP co-operatives. It...

Flu vaccine efficacy warning.
October 1, 2005... Vaccinating over-65s against flu is far less effective than previously estimated and must be backed with more rigorous public health measures, a gold standard review concludes. Researchers on the Cochrane Vaccines study said Government...

GPs are missing lung infection.
October 1, 2005... GPs are treating cases of difficult asthma `inappropriately aggressively' because they are not considering lung infection as a possible cause, a study concludes. Researchers estimated as many as 40 per cent of patients referred with...

Statins cut men's fracture risks.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... One of the largest-ever studies on statins and fracture rate has found the drugs substantially reduce the risk in men. Previous studies have shown a similar association, but most looked at women, the researchers said. Their analysis of more...

Journal Watch: Heavy drinking link to AF.(atrial fibrillation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Heavy alcohol consumption significantly increases men's risk of atrial fibrillation, a Danish study shows. Researchers assessed alcohol intake in 16,415 men and women by questionnaire and related consumption to records of atrial...

Journal Watch: Success with stammering.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Children with stammers can be effectively treated before reaching school age, an Australian study reports. Researchers studied 54 children aged between three and six who stammered at least 2 per cent of their syllables. Half received a...

Journal Watch: Beta-agonists and heart rate.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Long-acting Beta-agonists do not have adverse effects on heart rate variability, a Turkish study shows. Researchers studied 39 asthmatic adults with no history of cardiovascular disease. They monitored heart rate variability five to 10...

Journal Watch: Pre-eclampsia dangers.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Men and women born after a pregnancy complicated with pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of having, or fathering, a pre-eclamptic pregnancy themselves. Norwegian researchers studied data from the medical birth registry of Norway, looking...

Journal Watch: Wider risks with HbA1c.(Glycosylated hemoglobin)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Levels of HbA1c are related to risk of coronary heart disease even in patients who do not have diabetes, US researchers find. Their study assessed the relationship between HbA1c and CHD over eight to 10 years in 1,626 adults with diabetes...

Home BP figures `reliable'.(white-coat hypertension)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... White-coat hypertension is not a problem in patients whose blood pressure is well controlled, a sub-analysis of the ASCOT study reveals. Researchers found there was no difference in BP measured at home or in the surgery in patients...

Obesity sends GPs' work soaring.
October 1, 2005... The rising tide of obesity is swamping GPs with even greater workload than expected, two related studies conclude. Obese patients saw their GP more often and were prescribed more drugs for a range of chronic and acute conditions than those...

`Little difference' in antipsychotics.
October 1, 2005... Newer second-generation antipsychotics are little if any better than generic older drugs for treating schizophrenia, a major new clinical trial concludes. In the trial 74 per cent of patients discontinued medication and there was little...

THE TOP 10: Most prescribed drugs.
October 1, 2005... THE TOP 10: Most prescribed drugs Total scripts 1 Analgesics 46,575,300 2 Antihypertensive therapy ...

Can profession change to improve women GPs' lot?
October 1, 2005... PULSE GENDER GAP REPORT We asked 10 women GPs to list the top 10 things that would make their working lives better. The answers were strikingly concordant. But are male GP leaders prepared to make changes? Emma Wilkinson reports Over...

Letter of the week: Right on mark over continuity.
October 1, 2005... Dr Andy Ashworth, Edinburgh Well done Pulse for getting such important data on what patients want (The Great Pulse Patient Survey, 17 September). As Dr George Rae points out in his commentary, continuity of care is becoming overwhelmed...

Letter: Remember when we practised some medicine?(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... From Dr Paul Fox, Wakefield Your report `Commissioning GPs may face referral restrictions' (News, 17 September) raises many issues, and also my temper. We are subject to constant rounds of change from people who seem to have no idea of...

Letter: Suffering hypertensives.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... From Dr Dinesh Kapoor, CHD Lead, Waltham Forest PCT The ASCOT trial (News, 10 September) is welcome news for the silently suffering hypertensive patients on Beta-blockers who have been too embarrassed to complain about their erectile...

Letter: My fruity answer to ulcers.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... From Dr Adrian McCracken, Malvern, Worcestershire Further to the interesting article on treating ulcers with honey by Professors Andrew Moore and Henry McQuay, I agree this is wonderful treatment. Sometimes it is better to use the...

Letter: Our website blunder - GMC.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... From Andrew Ketteringham, Director of Policy and Corporate Affairs, GMC The Health Review Group (established by the GMC in 2004 to review the operation of our procedures for dealing with doctors with health problems) produced its final...

Letter: When the details must be available.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... From Dr Simon Fisher, Newcastle upon Tyne The fury of correspondents in reply to my letter about the GMC's publication of medical information regarding doctors is evident (Letters, 17 September). However, these writers have misinterpreted...

Letter: My own case was the last straw.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... From Dr KC Gill, Wigan Further to my slightly flattering photograph (News, 17 September) I would like to make some further comments about the GMC based on experience, having been under supervison for five years. I feel compelled to...

PHIL PEVERLEY: Thoroughly modern Phil.(Phil Peverley, a general practitioners)
October 1, 2005... Inspired by tricorders and palmtop computers, Phil boldly goes where no GP has gone before My patients love my computer. And I can see why; after our last upgrade, it looks like something out of Star Trek. It is sleek, has a flat screen,...

Second Opinion - Andy Jones: Round one to the BMA.(British Medical Association )
October 1, 2005... Our BMA negotiating team are entering the second round of negotiations, revising nGMS. We have all read submissions for new disease areas, and await the next challenges. I thought it would pay to look back at the negotiators' successes. At...

PULSE FINANCIAL: A UNIQUE YEAR FOR ACCOUNTS.
October 1, 2005... For all sorts of reasons this has been an extraordinary year for GP finances. Because of this Dr John Couch believes your accounts need to be dissected carefully and certain aspects accorded very special attention indeed The majority of...

FINANCIAL: TWO PRACTICES DECIDED TO MERGE - WHAT A STRUGGLE IT WAS.
October 1, 2005... Very large practices are being encouraged as the way forward for general practice. Dr Peter Moore merged his practice with a larger one, and believes it was the right decision. But let no one tell you it is easy! One GP cannot cope with...

PULSE FINANCIAL: Q&A: HOW TO DO PENSION PLANNING SUMS.
October 1, 2005... Our expert answer your questions on a variety of different pension situations Q I am a half-time salaried GP aged 35 with 10 years' NHS service. This includes three years of hospital service, one year as a GP registrar and one year of...

PULSE FINANCIAL: THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF LEASE LIABILITY.
October 1, 2005... Solicitor Daphne Robertson looks at matters relating to lease liability, an important consideration for GPs who rent their premises When faced with the prospect of a new lease, be it a fresh start or a renewal, how long should it be? ...

PULSE CLINICAL: NEED TO KNOW - COPD.
October 1, 2005... In this series GPs put their burning questions on a clinical topic to an expert - this week Dr Antony Crockett answers questions from Dr Alistair Moulds 1. Does COPD only occur in smokers? COPD is essentially a disease of smokers and...

MINOR AILMENTS: TREATING WARTS.
October 1, 2005... It's easy to get stuck in a rut treating the same minor ailments day- in, day-out. In this series experts give an evidence-based update on what works. This week Dr Sam Gibbs advises on warts Warts are frustrating for the following reasons:...

HOW I SET UP AN ANNUAL COELIAC DISEASE REVIEW CLINIC.
October 1, 2005... Dr Sohail Butt explains how he ensures this group of patients receive optimal care through a simple annual health check Clinical studies suggest 20-25 per cent of diagnosed coeliac patients fail to keep to a strict gluten-free diet, and so...

SOME FACTS, CURIOS AND ANECDOTES ON MEDICINE.
October 1, 2005... GP Dr Ayan Panja shares extracts from his new book of minutiae that should amuse, remind, impress - or even disconcert - GPs PATIENTS' PHRASES COMMONLY HEARD BY GPS * `I'm not worried about it, but my wife forced me to come and see...

GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST CHANCE OF EXAMS SUCCESS.
October 1, 2005... This week we launch an advice section aimed at helping readers pass summative assessment and the MRCGP. To introduce the section, Dr Mei Ling Denney describes both the assessment and the exam, and highlights impending changes Summative...

WHAT IF YOUR PATIENT IS JUST ACTING?
October 1, 2005... Three GPs share their approach to a practice problem CASE HISTORY You are asked to see a new patient at the end of a busy morning surgery. You are short of doctors due to sickness and holidays and you have a number of visits to make....

CLINICAL CASEBOOK: A PUBLICAN WORRIED ABOUT TREMBLING HANDS.
October 1, 2005... Dr Tanvir Jamil discusses CASE HISTORY Ron is a 45-year-old publican and comes to see you during the afternoon surgery. He has developed a tremor in his right hand which occasionally worsens in certain positions. It's often not present...

Spouse pensions still tax-efficient.
October 1, 2005... It is still possible to set up and fund a plan for your spouse to boost your own pension, says Stuart Smith Over the years, one of the most popular and tax-efficient methods for GPs to plan for an increased retirement income has been to set...

CAREERS: BECOMING A SESSIONAL GP IS A VIABLE CAREER OPTION.
October 1, 2005... Dr Vicky Weeks explains why there's never been a better time to become a portfolio GP The news item in Pulse said it all1 - women make up 80 per cent of the net increase in GPs since last year, with 60 per cent of registrars now being...

CV: Professor Valerie Wass.(Interview)
October 1, 2005... What made you decide to go into general practice? Originally I worked in nephrology but pursuing this career part-time with children proved increasingly difficult so I trained as a GP. What would you have done if you hadn't been a...

LET'S PRACTISE IN: THE ISLE OF MAN.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... FACTFILE Population 75,049 Highest peak: Snaefell - 621 metres Length of island: 53km Where? `Many people who have never been to the Isle of Man are not sure exactly where it is! The answer is that it lies in the Irish Sea,...

PULSE COMMENT: Give women a bigger say.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The future of general practice is female. That is the inescapable fact when two-thirds of new entrants to the profession are women. Women make up just over two out of every five GPs at present and will be a majority in a decade or so's time....

GPs set to win pay boost over surge in statin workload.
October 8, 2005... GPs are set for a pay boost in the revised quality and outcomes framework as an incentive to treat up to 3.5 million extra patients with statins. Government heart tsar Dr Roger Boyle told Pulse he had submitted evidence to the QOF review...

GPs didn't massage quality scores.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... GPs have not relied on exception reporting to achieve their remarkable quality scores, a new audit reveals. Specialists have questioned whether GPs have overused the system, but the study found exception reporting was the exception and not...

Two-week cancer referral rule has a `negative effect'.
October 8, 2005... The two-week rule for cancer referral has led to spiralling waiting times and a huge surge in urgent referrals, a damning new lung cancer audit concludes. Introduction of the rule has `failed to reduce waiting times' and had a `negative...

White Paper will talk `trade-offs'.(medical consultation)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... The Government consultation into the forthcoming primary care White Paper will become more `sophisticated' this month, the Department of Health has pledged. GPs had previously complained that the consultation process of Your Health, Your...

GP makes a display of himself.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... Dr Jeremy Vevers has a series of his own artworks on display in his surgery waiting room. Dr Vevers, a GP in East Grinstead, West Sussex, only started part-time lessons at an art school three years ago but patients and partners have spent...

Major DoH push on self-care.(Department of Health)
October 8, 2005... The Government plans to promote `self-care' as its flagship solution to rising demand on health care services. Encouraging patients with minor ailments and chronic conditions to take more responsibility for their health is described as the...

All PCTs miss Choose and Book targets.(primary care trusts)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... Not a single primary care trust is expected to meet the next Department of Health target for Choose and Book. The second stage of a three-stage incentive scheme would have rewarded each PCT with #100,000 if 50 per cent of GP referrals are...

Pulse sets agenda with conference.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... Pulse's campaign to teach members of Parliament about the challenges facing GP practices was lauded during the Labour Party conference. David Anderson, Labour MP for Blaydon, told delegates during the health debate how his visit to Dr Jess...

IN BRIEF: Pulse still your best read.
October 8, 2005... Pulse has been confirmed as the number one GP publication in the latest national readership survey. In the 12 months to August 2005, Pulse was read on average by 72 per cent of GPs every week, two points clear of its closest rival. ...

IN BRIEF: Atomoxetine suicide link.
October 8, 2005... ADHD drug atomoxetine (Strattera) has been linked to increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour in children. A new study - being examined by the MHRA - found six in 1,357 patients experienced the side- effects. The drug is not...

IN BRIEF: Amoxicillin enamel alert.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... Amoxicillin use during infancy could cause teeth enamel defects, researchers suggest. Their study of 579 patients found amoxicillin use from three to six months of age doubled fluorosis risk. Duration of use was related to the number of...

IN BRIEF: PBC rewards ruled out.(practice-based commissioning )(Brief Article)
October 8, 2005... Rewarding GPs for participating in practice-based commissioning has been ruled out of the next version of the quality and outcomes framework. New guidelines on commissioning expected later this month are expected to concentrate on...