Practice Nurse articles from February 2003

Practice Nurse archives from February 2003

Nurse role will grow if GPs agree to new contract. (News).(general practitioners)(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... NEW roles for practice nurses will be created if GPs vote to accept a radical new contract hailed as the biggest reform in primary care since the foundation of the NHS. If implemented, the contract will also give GPs the freedom to...

Time to reward practice nurses for proposed new roles, say unions. (News).(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... PRACTICE nurses should be rewarded for their proposed new roles and increased workloads because GPs will be relying on them to deliver the new quality framework, say the nursing unions. RCN primary care adviser, Lynn Young, said that...

What they say. (GP Contract).(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... BMA Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's General Practitioners' Committee, said the contract offered a light at the end of the tunnel for GPs who were struggling with a heavy workload. `It also offers a better deal for other practice...

Timetable. (GP Contract).(general practitioner)(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... * 42,000 UK GPs will be balloted between 20 March and 11 April on whether they wish to accept the new contract. * If accepted, parts of the new contract will be implemented in spring this year and GPs will be able to start bidding for new...

Government surprises practices with new Hib vaccine directive. (News).(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... THE Department of Health has announced that all children aged between six months and four years must be given a booster dose of Hib vaccine. This follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which is concerned...

Skin referrals.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... GPs are referring up to 19 out of 20 skin lesions inappropriately to secondary care because of patient litigation and the two-week cancer referral rule, says a report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin. It adds that primary care...

Mental health.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... The All Wales Primary Care Mental Health Network has been launched for those professionals involved in mental health services, as a channel for the effective application of the eight standards identified in the Welsh National Service...

Health minister announces new campaign to promote NHS jobs. (News).(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... THE Government has launched a campaign to promote careers in the NHS in a bid to meet its target of employing 35,000 extra nurses, midwives and health visitors by 2008. Health minister John Hutton has also announced a 50% increase in...

Virtual library.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... NHS Scotland has expanded its electronic library so that it now offers more than 4000 full text electronic journals, 200 electronic books, 20 major databases and 1500 free healthcare information websites. Go to www.show. scot.nhs.uk/elibrary

MDU helpline.
February 28, 2003... THE phone number that the Medical Defence Union gave for their membership hotline (Letters, Practice Nurse 14 February, pp20-23) is in fact the number for a road haulage company. The MDU regrets the error and asks that readers who have a...

All-male slimming programme wins National Obesity Forum award. (News).(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... AN all-male slimming programme has won this year's National Obesity Forum award for excellence in weight management in primary care. The `Weigh-in without women' group was set up by Coatbridge Local Health Care Co-operative (LHCC) after...

SIGN guideline on middle-ear infections in childhood. (News).(Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network )(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... THE Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) has issued new guidance on the diagnosis and management of childhood otitis media. The national guideline addresses detection, management, referral and follow up of children with middle...

Report of thromboembolism cases in women taking Yasmin.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... A DUTCH adverse drug reaction monitoring system has received five recent reports of thromboembolism in women taking the contraceptive Yasmin. The most serious case was a 17 year old who had been taking Yasmin for six months when she...

New advice on Levonelle.(Brief Article)
February 28, 2003... An article in Practice Nurse (14 February, p8) incorrectly stated that pregnancies that occur following failure of Levonelle emergency contraception are more likely to be ectopic than pregnancies among users of other contraceptive methods....

Complementary therapies in primary care: about forty per cent of GPs are happy to recommend complementary therapies to their patients and twenty per cent offer them on their premises. (News Analysis).(general practitioners )
February 28, 2003... Although many doctors see anything `alternative' as hocus pocus there are some excellent examples of complementary and conventional approaches to health working effectively side by side in primary care. The Clayton Health Centre in Manchester...

10 years later ... time to record the NP role? (Guest Editorial).(nurse practitioners)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
February 28, 2003... The exchange of correspondence between Angela Heini and the MDU (Practice Nurse 14 Feb) clearly shows the need to sort out the role and scope of nurse practitioner (NP) practice. Given that we have been educating NPs in the UK for well...

Limiting the impact of falls: every year 14,000 older adults die following fall-related osteoporotic hip fractures and thousands more suffer physical and psychological trauma after a fall. But what can practice nurses do to minimise falls among vulnerable people? (Elderly Health).
February 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * High rates of fall-related mortality and morbidity have prompted the Government to include fall prevention in the National Service Framework for Older People. * The key indicator of falls risk is a prior history of...

Reinforce the `quit' message: advice on giving up smoking can be given opportunistically. Tim Coleman describes how practice nurses can ensure patients are motivated to stop smoking and encourage them to stop for good. (Smoking Cessation).
February 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * Smoking is a massive public health problem in the UK. * There are a number of simple, effective smoking cessation interventions that can be delivered in primary care. * Smoking status should be recorded in the...

A formulary to treat acne: acne affects about 85% of teenagers, although it can persist into middle age, particularly in women. While easy to diagnose, it can be physically and psychologically damaging. Mike Mead considers treatment strategies. (Dermatology).
February 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * Acne is often underestimated in terms of its associated morbidity. * Usually the patient will already have tried an over-the-counter remedy. * Patients with severe acne should be referred to a dermatologist. ...

What the NSF for diabetes means for primary care: the long-awaited National Service Framework for Diabetes: Delivery Strategy was finally published in January. Don't blame yourself if you didn't notice; it was released with more of a whimper than a bang. But how will it affect you? (NSF For Diabetes) (Cover Story).(National Service Framework)
February 28, 2003... There are currently 1.3 million people with diabetes in the UK; and these are just those we know about. With this figure likely to double over the next 10 years, Diabetes UK--the national charity for people with diabetes and their carers--is...

9b insect- and animal-borne diseases. (Part 9: travel health).
February 28, 2003... Learning objectives By the end of this section you will be able to: * utilise the ABCD approach to malaria prevention as part of your patient education programme * advise patients which insect- and animal-borne diseases have...

Legal issues: the frameworks of law set out the boundaries for nurse prescribing. Do you know the limits on your practice? (Nurse Prescribing).
February 28, 2003... The legal framework for the production, use, storage, supply, administration and classification of medicine have all been defined since the 1968 Medicines Act was passed. (1) This Act created a restrictive legal framework for all aspects...

New asthma guideline: Mike Mead compares the new British Guideline on the Management of Asthma produced by the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) with the 1997 asthma guidance. (Respiratory Disease).
February 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * The main changes between the new guideline and previous advice are in the stepwise management plans. * Inhaled short-acting [beta.sub.2]-agonists are the bronchodilators of choice as short-term reliever therapy. *...

PNs to benefit from employment package. (News).
February 14, 2003... PRACTICE nurses who want to receive the new Agenda for Change pay rises may be given the option of transferring to trust employment from 2004. Nursing unions are negotiating for practice nurses to receive NHS employment conditions as...

PNs will be financially better off. (News).
February 14, 2003... PRACTICE nurses could be more than 1000 [pounds sterling] and in some cases more than 4000 [pounds sterling] better off under Agenda for Change. Under the published pay scales, D and E-grade nurses will be in band 5 and paid 17,000...

Pay deal trial.
February 14, 2003... HEREFORDSHIRE and Central Cheshire PCTs are among 12 sites across England to test the new Agenda for Change pay deal from June 2003 before the national roll out in October 2004. Neither PCT directly employs practice nurses, but unions will...

Get on the web.
February 14, 2003... www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/proposedagreement.htm Full Agenda for Change proposed agreement www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/jobevaluationhandbook.htm Job Evaluation Handbook

What they say.
February 14, 2003... * Colin Adkins, researcher, CPHVA: Practice nurses should receive the benefits of the new system. * Sara Richards, chair, RCN PNA: Practice nurses should be paid Agenda for Change rates the same as everybody else.

Emergency contraceptives are linked to ectopic pregnancy risk. (News).
February 14, 2003... PREGNANCIES that follow the failure of Levonelle (levonorgestrel 0.75mg) emergency contraception are more likely to be ectopic than conceptions among users of other contraceptive methods, according to new safety data. Figures published...

Practice development nurses get on-line to keep in touch and exchange ideas. (News).
February 14, 2003... PRACTICE development nurses have set up an electronic chat group so that they can establish a database, keep in touch and share ideas. Sue Felgate, a practice development nurse at Colchester Primary Care Trust, said about 50 nurses were...

Osteoporosis guidelines.
February 14, 2003... THE Royal College of Physicians has published new evidence-based guidelines for the management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Patients who take glucocorticoids for conditions such as asthma and arthritis are at high risk of bone...

Men's health.
February 14, 2003... TWELVE panels of local people set up by Somerset Health Authority to review men's health have called for more convenient opening hours at GP surgeries, more information about waiting times and improvements in waiting rooms to make them more...

No more CHCs.(community health councils)
February 14, 2003... COMMUNITY Health Councils will be abolished on 1 September. The functions of CHCs have been supplemented since 1 January by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health. In addition there is a new duty on the NHS to involve...

Practice nurses back Climbie report demand for more training. (News).
February 14, 2003... THE inquiry report into the death of Victoria Climbie has reinforced practice nurses' calls for training to help them recognise child abuse. The issue was first raised in an emotional debate at last year's RCN Congress. Since then the...

Rising vacancies for general practitioners increase workload across practices. (News).
February 14, 2003... VACANCY rates among British GPs are rapidly increasing, according to a new survey published by the British Medical Association. Figures provided by 109 primary care organisations across the UK in October and November last year show that...

Contraceptive champion.
February 14, 2003... The Family Planning Association is calling for a `contraceptive champion' in each primary care trust to ensure that health professionals receive adequate sexual health training and services become more integrated to ensure women's needs are...

Bowel cancer programme.
February 14, 2003... The Government has launched an NHS Bowel Screening Programme to tackle the second largest cancer killer, which claims 14,000 lives a year. The programme aims to develop national screening, speed up diagnosis, improve treatment, provide better...

CHD statistics.(coronary heart disease)
February 14, 2003... The number of UK deaths from coronary heart disease is falling significantly--by more than 3000 in the past year alone, says the British Heart Foundation. Prescriptions of statins were up by nearly a third between 2000 and 2001, the number of...

Mental health issues in primary care: an inspiring report from the Government shows just how much primary care nurses can achieve in mental health care. (News Analysis).
February 14, 2003... More than 90 per cent of patients with mental health problems are treated in primary care but overstretched GPs are unable to cope with this demand. Practice nurses have become increasingly involved in providing mental health services and...

Practice nurse voices must be heard. (Editorial).(Editorial)
February 14, 2003... Practice nurse vacancies are becoming harder and harder to fill, and is it any wonder? Pay and conditions remain poor and inconsistent right across nursing, and this is often particularly so in the practice nurse profession for those nurses...

A lack of cover hidden in the small print ... When Angela Heini discovered that her MDU group scheme membership did not cover her to perform her day-to-day practice nurse duties, she wrote to us to express her concerns. We asked an MDU representative for their response. (Letters).(malpractice insurance carried by nurse practitioners )
February 14, 2003... Most practice nurses no doubt assume that there is no need to take out personal indemnity insurance if they are covered under the Medical Defence Union (MDU) group scheme through their GP employers. However, I was horrified to discover that...

Living with coeliac disease: treatment for gluten sensitivity can seem like a life-sentence. Marilyn Edwards explains how a sympathetic, well informed practice nurse can help patients cope with the disease. (Nutrition).
February 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * Coeliac disease is underdiagnosed, and can lead to malignant lymphoma if left untreated. * Patients have to stick to a gluten-free diet for life, which can require a lot of advice and support. * The practice nurse...

Starting inhaled steroids.
February 14, 2003... Prim Care Resp J 2002; 11: 120-2. GPs should confirm an asthma diagnosis before starting inhaled steroids, say MRC researchers. They reviewed the management of new asthma patients in 12 UK general practices. About half of 304 patients...

Chips and cancer risk.
February 14, 2003... Br J Cancer 2003; 88: 84-9. High levels of acrylamide in foods such as crisps and chips have not been shown to increase cancer risk, but the chemical still needs more investigation, say researchers. The diets of cancer patients were...

Pain from hand OA follows daily pattern.(osteoarthritis)
February 14, 2003... Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2002; 61: 1075-80. Osteoarthritis dexterity and pain and stiffness intensity follow a circadian pattern, Australian research shows. This might help clinicians to plan best drug treatment and activity...

Patient group directions: patient group directions (PGDs) have now been introduced in England, Scotland and Wales. But what are they for, and when is it appropriate to use them? (Nurse Prescribing).
February 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * Nurses can use PGDs to supply or administer medicines, but not to prescribe. * PGDs can be put in place most easily when doctors, nurses and pharmacists share a common view on their use. * The significant increase...

Travel health: myths and misconceptions: `my travel agent says I don't need anything for The Gambia.' `I have been told I need a yellow fever certificate or I can't get on the ship.' Are these statements, commonly made by British tourists, right? (Travel Health)(Cover Story).
February 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * In The Gambia malaria is endemic throughout the year. * The predominant strain of malaria is P. falciparum. * Yellow fever is a viral illness that is transmitted to humans by the Aedes mosquito. Travelling to...

Diary dates ... Conferences, courses and education.
February 14, 2003... Courses An Introduction to Men's Health A one-day course specifically designed for professionals from a range of backgrouds interested in working more effectively with men. DATE: 13 March Working with Young Men A...

Screening for breast cancer: is it worthwhile? Michael Baum explains why he thinks that money spent on screening women for breast cancer would be better spent on treatment programmes and improving other areas of women's health. (Women's Health).
February 14, 2003... Every year during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month women are advised to practise breast self examination and reminded that their risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 11. However, statistics show that this figure is only accurate in...

Shower slippers aid foot cleaning. (What's In Latest Products Leaflets).
February 14, 2003... Footcare slippers have been developed for use by the elderly, expectant mothers, people who are overweight--in fact anyone who might have difficulty with mobility in the bath or shower--to help with feet cleaning. The slippers enable the...

Relieve pms. (What's In Latest Products Leaflets).
February 14, 2003... Femal is a natural supplement to help women manage their menstrual cycle. According to the manufacturer, taken throughout the month Femal can help to ease some of the symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle. Femal is available in...

Dry skin. (What's In Latest Products Leaflets).
February 14, 2003... Aveeno is a range of cleansing and moisturising products that are available over-the-counter or on FP 10 prescription. Formulated with colloidal oatmeal, Aveeno is indicated for the treatment of dry skin conditions such as endogenous and...

Advise younger women with breast cancer. (What's In Latest Products Leaflets).
February 14, 2003... Breast Cancer Care has launched a booklet Younger women with breast cancer, which explores the emotional as well as the practical side of dealing with a diagnosis. It looks at the treatments available and possible side-effects, as well as the...

Allergy free bedding. (Bulletin Board).
February 14, 2003... The MISSION: ALLERGY barrier system is a new range of covers for mattresses, pillows and duvets, which, according to the manufacturer offer protection, comfort and durability to people who are sensitive to house dust mites. The company also...

Migraine relief now available in a fast-acting spray. (Books And Useful Resources).
February 14, 2003... Zomig Nasal Spray is a new fast-acting treatment for the relief of migraine. Marketed as a new formulation of Zomig (zolmitriptan), patients using the nasal spray can expect the first signs of relief within 15 minutes, twice the speed of the...

Lower BP. (Books And Useful Resources).
February 14, 2003... A patients' guide to lowering blood pressure by changing their diet is now available free from the Blood Pressure Association. The booklet contains essential information for the whole family including why reducing salt intake will lower blood...

Promote safe sex. (What's New For Practice Nurses And Their Patients).
February 14, 2003... NEW LEAFLETS on gonorrhoea, genital warts and genital herpes have been produced by the fpa as part of a continuing series on sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The full series, aimed at 18-30 year olds, will include information on ten...

Stop period pain. (What's New For Practice Nurses And Their Patients).
February 14, 2003... A MAGNETIC period pain relief device has been developed by LadyCare Health Products Ltd. The device--which is worn attached to the underwear near the abdomen--has magnetic properties, which enable it to provide 24-hour pain relief throughout...

Pelvic floor toning. (What's New For Practice Nurses And Their Patients).
February 14, 2003... A PELVIC floor toning system, the beContent, has been designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which can be a signficant aid in the treatment of female stress and urge incontinence, bowel problems and prolapse. The device is...

9a immunisation. (PNplus: Learning to Support Practice: Part 9: travel health).
February 14, 2003... One of the most significant public health measures introduced during the 20th century was the routine use of immunisation. The principal aims of immunisation are to: * protect the individual from infectious diseases, with associated...