GP articles from August 2007

GP archives from August 2007

Gene discovery points to novel treatment for OCD.(Brief article)(Clinical report)
August 31, 2007... The chance discovery of a gene responsible for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) could lead to new strategies for treating the condition, US researchers have claimed. Mice that were born without the Sapap3 gene were found to be...

The lung risks of quitters persist.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Lung damage due to smoking continues for years after a person quits, claim UK researchers. The study involved 101 people with moderate to severe COPD. Thirty-six had quit smoking an average of eight years ago. The other 65 continued...

Dementia link to oophorectomy.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Women who have their ovaries removed pre-menopause are at increased risk of developing memory and movement disorders, claim US researchers. The findings come from two separate studies carried out by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Both...

Research briefs.
August 31, 2007... FLU VACCINE CUTS ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY Influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in elderly people, even when there is no influenza outbreak, according to Swedish research. For the study, the researchers compared...

Scottish out-of-hours pay may rise.
August 31, 2007... Out-of-hours pay could rise sharply in Scotland after the number of GPs willing to do the work plummeted by 15 per cent in just 12 months, according to Audit Scotland. Its survey published this week found that the number of GPs signed up...

Welsh GPs deny 'gaming' claims in audit report.(Report)
August 31, 2007... GP leaders in Wales have demanded an apology over a 'slur' by a financial watchdog that claims practices will 'manipulate' quality data to claim extra pay. GPC Wales chairman Dr David Bailey also rejected its claim that an agreement...

Opening hours clinch APMS bids.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... GPs in under-doctored areas are losing out on new contracts because they refuse to extend opening hours. GPs in North Staffordshire and Liverpool have been snubbed in favour of private providers. A bid to run six new practices in...

Quality scores to be published.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Quality framework achievement data for practices across the UK are expected to be published next month. ISD Scotland, the organisation which publishes quality data for Scotland, has confirmed 2006/7 data will be published on 25 September....

Record-breaking litter.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... GP Dr Bruce Herriot's sow Sophie has given birth to a record-breaking 14 piglets at his Herefordshire farm. It is thought to be the largest litter by a Kune Kune pig in the UK. As their mother has only 12 teats, the nine surviving offspring...

Hypothyroidism increases by 14%.
August 31, 2007... Prevalence data for domains added to the quality framework in 2006/7 show that Northern Ireland has higher reported rates of obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) than other parts of the UK for which figures are available. Rates of...

Optometrists to write own scrips from 2008.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Optometrists throughout the UK are to be given powers to prescribe drugs for eye conditions, under proposals announced by the DoH. Optometrists will be able to train to prescribe any licensed medicine for conditions affecting the eye and...

Body clock link to high BP.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... A genetic link between circadian rhythm and BP has been discovered, UK researchers claim. They found that if the gene BMAL1, a key component of the body's molecular clock, is deactivated, the body clock stops working and BP, blood...

GPs need more training to increase LARC uptake.
August 31, 2007... More than half of GPs lack the skills to offer long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) to patients, UK research suggests. The research found that misconceptions about side-effects associated with LARC methods appeared to be...

Identifying BP variations can cut stroke risk.
August 31, 2007... Detecting interarm BP differences could prevent more than 6,000 strokes and more than 4,000 coronary events each year, UK research has suggested. The findings indicate that systolic interarm BP differences could be used as a predictor of...

Robot stomach boosts diet research.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Scientists at the Institute of Food Research have developed a 'robot stomach'. The device, which cost pounds 1 million,contains acidic digestive juices and enzymes, and is the first model that can be fed real food. The machine will make...

NICE cost-effectiveness threshold 'unfair'.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... NICE evaluation strategies could mean too many expensive drugs are being approved to the detriment of cheaper therapies, claims the King's Fund. Professor John Appleby, chief economist at the King's Fund, said the cost-effectiveness...

UK lags on cancer survival.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Cancer survival rates in the UK continue to lag behind the rest of Europe, according to a major European study published in The Lancet. The average five-year cancer survival rates for Europe were 45 per cent for men and 55 per cent for women,...

Defence bodies condemn fitness-to-practice plans.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has compared the GMC's changes to fitness-to- practise investigations to 'the trial in Alice in Wonderland'. The Medical Protection Society (MPS) also said that it would continue vigorously to oppose any...

Look for red-flag symptoms in IBS.(irritable bowel syndrome)(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... GPs should look for red-flag symptoms when diagnosing IBS, according to draft guidance issued by NICE. The guidance states that GPs should look for symptoms such as anaemia or unintentional or unexplained weight loss, in addition to changes...

GP vacancy rate falls.(general practitioners)(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... The GP three-month vacancy rate in England fell from 1.1 per cent in 2006 to 0.8 per cent in 2007, according to the DoH's Information Centre. The national rate for Wales has halved since 2006, falling from 1.8 to 0.9 per cent. Three-month...

Patients support GPs over removal of DNAs.(surveys of general practitioners)
August 31, 2007... Four out of 10 GPs believe patients who miss appointments should be removed from practice lists, according to a survey by a health charity. The annual survey by Developing Patient Partnerships (DPP) found that almost 20 million...

Web tool will help GPs to tackle inequalities.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... A DoH tool that identifies regional health problems and identifies plans to tackle them could help GPs in England boost life expectancy. The web-based tool has been rolled out to 70 spearhead areas to help them work out what is causing...

Foundation trusts 'must hand over pounds 1bn cash pile'.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... GPs have criticised the commissioning process that led to foundation trusts sitting on cash reserves worth almost pounds 1 billion while PCTs are cutting services. England's 59 foundation trusts have accumulated a combined cash balance...

NICE insists GPs do follow guidance.(National Institute for Clinical Excellence)(general practitioners)
August 31, 2007... NICE claims GPs use its guidance but the institute may not be as influential as it thinks, writes Sanjay Tanday character style. Whether it is being accused of denying patients a potentially life-saving treatment or angering drug...

Patient surveys may not mean better care.(surveys of patient care)(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... The patient surveys used in the quality framework may not accurately measure satisfaction with services and are unlikely to improve patient care, a UK statistician has warned. The surveys, worth pounds 8,680 in quality payments to the...

Registrar: nMRCGP Examination - Time for a real test of knowledge.
August 31, 2007... The new applied knowledge test will test GP registrars on real-life issues. Dr Chris Elfes explains what to expect. The current MRCGP exam is coming to an end and there is change ahead for registrars, trainers and assessors. However, at...

MedEconomics: How to ... act correctly in an off-duty emergency.
August 31, 2007... GPs have an ethical duty to help in an emergency, says the MDU's Dr Nicholas Norwell. Just returned from your summer holiday? Hopefully it will have gone without a hitch, but a few of you may have responded to the call 'Is there a doctor...

MedEconomics: Ask the Experts - Negative equity and health insurance.
August 31, 2007... We have an interest-only mortgage. The building is not fit for any other purpose and, sited on a council estate, its market value - based on the district valuer's assessment of the surgery's value as a GP practice - is much lower than the...

MedEconomics: Shorter days and better access.(Viewpoint essay)
August 31, 2007... It is possible to shorten your working week and offer extended access, says Dr Pablo Millares Martin. Health secretary Alan Johnson's July announcement of a 'new drive to improve access to GP services' made me feel that we must start...

MedEconomics: Secure transfer of patient data.
August 31, 2007... NHSmail allows GPs safely to discuss patient details with consultants electronically, writes Nick Bostock. Reports about poor performance, missed targets and wasted cash have left many GPs wanting nothing to do with NHS-supplied IT. ...

GP Life: New thinking on smoked salmon.
August 31, 2007... Chris Duckham has created a popular dish by cooking an ingredient we usually expect to have served cold. At the restaurant when we use smoked salmon it is normally as a cold starter. Recently however we have been getting some stupendous...

GP Life: Classical CD of the month.
August 31, 2007... Name: Kate Royal Composers: A Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss, Joaquin Rodrigo, Anon, Enrique Granados, Joseph Canteloube, Leo Delibes Artists: Kate Royal, soprano, Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Edward Gardner ...

GP Life: Win this month's CD.
August 31, 2007... We have five copies of Kate Royal from EMI Classics to give away For a chance to win one, send an email to GPlife@haymarket.com, titled 'Kate Royal' by Friday 14 September, giving your GMC number and postal address. READER OFFER - Try...

GP Life: Win the best TV for your kitchen.
August 31, 2007... Compact, attractive, with excellent audio and visual quality, this small Philips television with its 15-inch screen will be ideal for many a kitchen. And we have one to give away - together with a Philips DTR-210 digital TV tuner. What...

GP Life: The hospital hotel in the heart of Paris.
August 31, 2007... Paris, the beautiful city, with sky high prices and tempting indulgences. But I have found a busman's holiday for GPs that won't blow the budget, and still leaves you waking up to the bells of Notre Dame. You cannot get a more centrally...

GP Life: Win a wireless music player.
August 31, 2007... The wireless Logitech DJ Music System can enhance your digital lifestyle, allowing you seamlessly to stream all your music from your computer straight to your hi-fi. The long-range remote allows you to browse your entire music...

Plain tales from the surgery.(usage of medical practice software)
August 31, 2007... LICE RELIEF One of my colleagues uses voice recognition software for entering patient records. The accuracy rate is very high, but one young patient he was reviewing for the ubiquitous troublesome nits attended with 'still a couple...

Exclusive: Half of GPs condemn Labour performance.
August 31, 2007... Almost half of UK GPs believe the Labour government's performance has been poor or very poor, according to a GP survey. The poll of 301 GPs found that 48 per cent planned to vote for the Conservative party at the next election, up from 35...

GPs warned of delay to flu vaccine supply.(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Delays have hit flu vaccine production for the fourth year running, as experts warn that the flu season could come to the UK as early as September. GSK says there will be 'short delays' to delivery of the flu vaccine for 2007/8. It...

Behind the Headlines: Could obesity be linked to a virus?(reports about obesity linked to a virus)
August 31, 2007... A common virus may be a factor in the obesity epidemic, reports Tom Ireland. WHAT IS THE STORY? A common cold virus could be responsible for obesity, according to recent media reports. A US study found that Adenovirus-36...

Opinion: The patient who won't let go.(Viewpoint essay)
August 31, 2007... As Plato once said, 'People in glass houses shouldn't take baths.' In the small yet dull world of the columnist, using quotations is considered bad form and rather naff. It is meant to imply a great breadth of scholarship, suggesting...

Opinion: The bouquet was not to my liking.(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... Fresh from reading Harry Potter, it strikes me that, in the eternal duel between doctor and disease, we sometimes do things we never want our family and friends to hear about. Yet to conceal shame is to give it power. Instead of hiding,...

Editorial: Consistency is key to rationing resources.(Editorial)
August 31, 2007... However much we would all like the NHS to operate like a giant magician's hat for health, with more and more treatments, money and beds being pulled out, we have to accept reality. The health service does not have infinite resources and...

Opinion: Chris Lancelot on... Primary Care Workload.(Viewpoint essay)
August 31, 2007... If there is one problem in primary care that desperately needs addressing it is workload. Most of our difficulties revolve around this issue. GPs are angriest when we feel we are being dumped on - by the patients, with their unrealistic...

Clinical: Journals watch - Asthma, stroke prevention and STIs.
August 31, 2007... Too busy to read the journals? Let Dr Raj Thakkar guide you through the latest research. DECISION-MAKING IN ASTHMA EXACERBATIONS - Arch Dis Child 2007; 92: 672-7 Acute asthma is commonplace in general practice. This study evaluated...

Clinical: At a Glance - Actinic cheilitis versus eczematous cheilitis.(diagnosis and treatment of Actinic cheilitis and eczematous cheilitis)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Brief article)
August 31, 2007... ACTINIC CHEILITIS CLINICAL FEATURES - Occurs as the result of sun damage to the lip. - It is a precancerous condition: squamous cell carcinoma develops in 6-10 per cent of cases. - Gradual onset of puffiness, with dryness...

Clinical: CBT can offer options for primary care.(influence of cognitive-behavioral therapy on the services of general practitioners)
August 31, 2007... Greater access to CBT would help GPs with a range of patients' problems, says Dr Brian Marien. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) methodology is well documented and therapy focuses on well-defined targets that can be quantified. The...

Clinical: Menopause care is not 'one size fits all'.
August 31, 2007... THE BASICS Women's experience of the menopause will vary for each person, says Dr Heather Currie. The average age of the menopause is 52 in the UK and, with increasing life expectancy, women spend more than a third of their lives in...

Clinical Review: High serum ferritin.
August 31, 2007... Contributed by Dr Mark Crowther, specialist registrar in haematology, and Dr Henry G Watson, consultant haematologist, Department of Haematology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen 1. Epidemiology and aetiology Ferritin is a molecule...

Quality scheme is 'serious threat' to care of elderly.(Report)
August 17, 2007... The quality framework puts elderly patients at risk because targets have not been age-adjusted, according to senior GPs. Elderly patients are being unnecessarily treated with drugs such as statins, because GPs are encouraged to chase...

Final decision imminent on 2008 quality targets.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Decisions over which clinical areas will be added to the quality framework are one step closer. The 40-strong expert panel put together by the GPC and NHS Employers has completed the evidence-gathering phase for potential changes to the...

Security breaches undermine value of electronic record.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... An LMC believes that the risks of a national electronic patient record system outweigh potential benefits after breaches of confidentiality were exposed. Somerset LMC is concerned after a leading supplier of IT systems for GPs sacked a...

DNA vaccine offers MS hope.(multiple sclerosis )(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... A DNA vaccine is showing promise as a novel treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), say North American scientists. Findings from a study of 30 patients with MS showed that intramuscular injections of the vaccine were well tolerated and led...

HPV jab 'no benefit' to infected.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... The HPV vaccine should not be used to treat those who already have the infection because it fails to eliminate the virus, say US researchers. The findings appear to bolster the case for giving the vaccine to schoolgirls before they...

Research Briefs.(briefs)
August 17, 2007... MORE BIOPSIES AFTER SUMMER PSA TEST Men who undertake the PSA test in the summer are more likely to have a subsequent biopsy than men tested at any other time of the year, suggests French research. Being screened during the summer...

UK reports 26% rise in Legionnaires' disease.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... GPs should be on the lookout for signs of Legionnaires' disease, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has warned. Between January and June this year, 163 cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported in England and Wales; 26 per cent more...

GPs warned on firm's cash-for-clinics offer.
August 17, 2007... GPs who give patient details to a private company that runs screening clinics could be breaking the law, the BMA has warned. Health Screen Clinic has approached practices across England offering a fee to use their premises at weekends....

Intensive ADHD therapies offer little benefit.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Intensive therapies offer little benefit for children with ADHD, suggest US study findings. Neither intensive medication nor behavioural intervention for ADHD led to sustained improvement of the condition, compared with more moderate...

DoH backs WHO on child growth.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Recommendations to adopt the WHO child growth standards in the UK have been welcomed by the DoH. The move aims to encourage breastfeeding up to the age of six months, in an attempt to reduce levels of obesity. The recommendations,...

Polyclinic plan branded a threat to London's health.(Report)
August 17, 2007... Lord Ara Darzi's vision for the future of healthcare in London is unworkable and will not bring about vital improvements to healthcare, according to an influential public sector think-tank. In a critique published last week, Reform, which...

GPC criticises DoH flu pandemic plans.(General Practitioner's Council)
August 17, 2007... The DoH's plan for dealing with an influenza pandemic is being hindered by too many decision-makers, according to the GPC. GP leaders are concerned that input from a 'plethora' of groups means 'there is a diminishing sense of any...

Theatre bid alarms GPs.(privatization of government-run hospitals)(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Plans to use private firms to run operating theatres at an NHS hospital in Surrey could put patients at risk, GP leaders have warned. Bids from two private firms are being considered by Kingston Hospital NHS Trust. The trust's deputy...

GPs condemn DoH rejection of NHS IT review.
August 17, 2007... GP leaders have accused ministers of burying their heads in the sand after the DoH rejected calls for an independent review of the NHS IT programme. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee demanded a review of the programme's...

Legal win for NICE could hit Alzheimer's strategy.
August 17, 2007... The proposed DoH national dementia strategy risks being undermined after the High Court upheld NICE's decision to restrict the use of Alzheimer's drugs in those with mild to moderate disease. Eisai, the maker of Alzheimer's drug Aricept,...

Out-of-hours complaints up.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Communication failures after responsibility for out-of-hours care was passed to primary care organisations are behind a threefold rise in serious complaints over five years, according to the Medical Defence Union (MDU). The MDU and...

Emergency call.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Nine fire crews were needed to tackle a fire that gutted the North Cardiff Medical Centre last week. Officers investigating the fire, which spread from nearby rubbish bins, are not ruling out arson. A makeshift surgery was set up in a church...

Incorrect GP data on DoH website.
August 17, 2007... Practices are to be invited to upload their correct details to a flagship NHS website that cost pounds 3.6 million to set up, but has been dogged by inaccuracies. NHS Choices, which reportedly costs pounds 10 million a year to run,...

Practices given a choice of eight IT system suppliers.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... A deal to protect GPs' ability to choose which practice IT system they use has moved forward after eight companies won a place on the government's list of approved providers under the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) initiative. Eight of the...

News in brief.(General Medical Council reports 54 doctors struck off the medical register in 2006)(Dr Sunil Sapre raises pounds 10,000 for hospice charity for the terminally ill )
August 17, 2007... FLOOD DAMAGE SEES WORCESTERSHIRE GPS RELOCATE DeMontfort Medical Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire, has set up in a local school after contaminated flood water destroyed clinical equipment at the surgery. The extent of the damage is so...

GPs recruit extra nurses to cover new GMS work.(general medical services)
August 17, 2007... GPs have been forced to increase staffing to accommodate the extra workload of the new GMS contract, say researchers. Early findings from a study by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (NPCRDC) suggested practices...

'Safe to treat US and Canadian patients'.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... The Medical Protection Society (MPS) has sought to reassure members about treating patients from the US and Canada. It described as 'unhelpful to GPs' an article in the medical press that warned that GPs who treat American and Canadian...

DoH suggests NHS Direct could take on more GP work.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... The DoH has suggested that PCTs wanting practices to open earlier or later should employ NHS Direct to take on in-hours work. The Scottish Executive has considered the proposal as a way of extending GP practice opening hours (GP, 3...

GPs fund practice manager rises.(Survey)
August 17, 2007... The average income for practice managers increased by 4.6 per cent to pounds 35,556 in 2007, according to a large survey. The figures refer to the first full year in which practice income was frozen. The 4.6 per cent increase is...

Behind the Headlines: Is glaucoma a sign of Alzheimer's?
August 17, 2007... Drugs for combatting Alzheimer's have also proved useful against glaucoma. Sanjay Tanday reports. WHAT IS THE STORY? Drugs used to treat Alzheimer's disease may protect patients at risk of eye damage from glaucoma, according to media...

Can GPs be won over to polyclinics?
August 17, 2007... Health minister Lord Darzi envisages a radically remodelled NHS. So far, reports Henry Ellis, GPs remain sceptical. When Lord Ara Darzi unveiled his radical plans for healthcare in London, he was forced to draw on examples from the USA...

How will you vote at next election?
August 17, 2007... ELECTION SURVEY 1. If there were an election today, which party would you vote for? 2. Please explain why you would vote this way in fewer than 30 words. 3. Which party did you vote for in the 2005 election? 4. If your...

Fight the fat cat conspiracy.
August 17, 2007... First let me confess my prejudice; I don't like rich people. I don't like their big cars, I don't like their shiny shoes, I don't like their fancy clubs, I don't like their yachts and their planes and their permatans and their expensive...

Banana man's signs win the day.(shortage of acute beds )(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... The competition for acute beds is stiff out there, but in Essex we play to win. So when Mr Bile says his liver is deranged I take an interest. Indeed, as he edged glowing into my consulting room I felt true delight, for not only was he...

Editorial: Gordon, please show some faith in GPs.(Editorial)
August 17, 2007... The GP pay freeze has left practices with a dilemma: should practice staff be treated in the same way? The 2006/7 pay freeze is likely to have been considered twice now by partners when deciding annual pay rises for staff. According to a...

Opinion: Chris Lancelot on... Supply and demand.(Viewpoint essay)
August 17, 2007... The NHS is an expensive mess and nothing the government does seems to make any difference. The Conservatives fondly believe that the solution is to reintroduce fundholding and the Labour Party has reinvented fundholding as practice-based...

Journals Watch: Emergency contraception and HRT.
August 17, 2007... Too busy to read the journals? Let Dr Jonathon Holliday guide you through the latest research. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION GUIDANCE BEING IGNORED - J FAM PLANN REPROD HEALTH CARE 2007; 33: 195-8 This audit of 718 emergency contraceptive...

Peripheral vascular disease on the web.(Website overview)
August 17, 2007... Dr Keith Barnard recommends websites related to this week's Clinical Review. THE LONG VIEW This article is headed 'Diagnosis and medical management of patients with intermittent claudication', and that is what it delivers. ...

Clinical: Presentations of lichen planus.(Clinical report)
August 17, 2007... LICHEN PLANUS AT THE WRIST Lichen planus is seen in about 1 per cent of the population. It is thought to be due to an abnormal immune reaction, but it may be triggered by a viral infection such as hepatitis C, or drugs such as...

Clinical: Clinical Review - Peripheral vascular disease.
August 17, 2007... Contributed by Mr Stephen G E Barker, senior lecturer in surgery, University College London and honorary consultant vascular surgeon, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 1. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND AETIOLOGY The...