GP articles from July 2007

GP archives from July 2007

Exclusive: Unreliable home chlamydia tests put users at risk.
July 20, 2007... Use of home tests for chlamydia could be leading patients to wrongly believe they are free from infection, the director of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme has warned. Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed STI in UK GUM...

GP pay figure drops 20%.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... The UK's non-dispensing GMS GPs earned around pounds 86,000 in NHS income on average in 2004/5, 20 per cent less than a figure widely used by the DoH to represent average GP pay, the latest official figures show. Data from the...

Poll predicts a close race to lead GPC.(health maintenance organizations)(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... GPC elections for a new chairman this week will be hard fought after a GP poll revealed that there is no clear favourite. Two 'backbench' candidates - Dr John Canning and Dr Eric Rose - emerged with Dr Andrew Dearden and Dr Laurence...

Moles keep you young.
July 20, 2007... Having lots of moles helps fight the ageing process, claim UK researchers. A study of over 1,800 twins showed that those with more than 100 moles had longer telomeres than those with fewer than 25. Telomeres cap all chromosomes and are a...

Inhaled steroids increase pneumonia risk in COPD.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Treating COPD patients with inhaled corticosteroids can increase their risk of hospitalisation for pneumonia by 70 per cent, research from Canada has shown. Inhaled corticosteroid use was also associated with a 53 per cent increased risk...

Anti-malarial cuts diabetes risk in RA by 70%.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Giving rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients a common anti-malarial can reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes by more than 70 per cent, US research has shown. The finding comes from a prospective study of 4,905 adults with RA and no initial...

Fasting cardiovascular test in doubt.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Measuring fasting triglyceride levels may be of little use in assessing cardiovascular risk, suggest findings of two studies. However, taking triglyceride measurements in the non-fasting state could predict the chances of a future...

Research brief: Blood test to measure visceral fat.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... A patient's visceral fat level could be measured with a simple blood test, US and German research has shown. In a study of 196 people, it was shown that levels of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) were about 60-fold higher in those with high...

Research brief: Saline spray eases rhinosinusitis.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Spraying saline into the nose can help in chronic rhinosinusitis, according to a Cochrane Review. Analysis of eight randomised trials and 16 other studies, involving 1,659 people in total, showed the treatment improved symptoms of pain and...

Research brief: Female fertility protects against gastric cancer.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Female hormones protect against gastric cancer, US study findings suggest. After 419,260 person-years of follow-up, 154 of 73,442 Shanghai women were diagnosed with gastric cancer. Analysis revealed that women who were fertile for less than...

Research brief: Stone Age diet could prevent type-2 diabetes.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Following a Stone Age diet of fruit, nuts, vegetables and lean meat or fish could prevent type-2 diabetes by improving the body's response to carbohydrates, according to Swedish researchers. For the three-month study, 14 people with CHD and...

Heartsink profession.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Plumber-turned-GP Dr Richard Baynham cannot find the partnership he wants in the Midlands, although he has had plenty of offers of plumbing jobs. Dr Baynham, 47, abandoned his pounds 1,000-a-week plumbing job in 1990 to study for his...

Type-2 diabetes 'better treated' by cheap drugs.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Doubt has been cast on the value of thiazolidinediones in type-2 diabetes by US researchers. A review of available literature showed older oral agents for blood glucose control in type-2 diabetes are as effective or superior to the...

GPs fear MMR case will cut uptake rates.(Measles-mumps-rubella vaccines)(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... MMR uptake could fall because of publicity around the GMC investigation into research by Dr Andrew Wakefield, GPs fear. GPs should prepare information to counter any concerns that patients might have. The investigation will consider...

CMO admits that MTAS has made system worse.(Medical Training and Application Service )(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... The CMO for England Sir Liam Donaldson has admitted that the Medical Training and Application Service (MTAS) made it harder to identify good candidates for hospital jobs. In his annual report published this week, Sir Liam said it aimed...

Most future GPs fear lack of jobs.
July 20, 2007... Almost all of the UK's next draft of GPs fear there may not be a job for them in the NHS when they complete their training. A GP straw poll of doctors in training at last week's 'A New Horizon: national conference for GPs-to-be', jointly...

White elephant fear over polyclinics.(Report)
July 20, 2007... 'Short-sighted' proposals to replace local practices and district hospitals in London with one-stop 'supersurgeries' could leave a legacy of costly white elephants, according to Londonwide LMCs. Under proposals for a radical overhaul of...

'DoH wasted millions on data joint venture'.(United Kingdom's Department of Health has and an contract with Dr Foster Ltd without proper bid)(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... The DoH paid pounds 12 million for a 50 per cent share in a company valued by its own advisers at pounds 10-pounds 15 million, although the potential benefits of the deal are unclear, a report by MPs reveals. The DoH also failed to follow...

GPs ask how HIV diagnoses are to be recorded.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Clarification is needed over how GPs handle information about patients' HIV status, say experts. There are concerns that, once HIV status is entered in electronic records, the information could become known to non-clinical staff, say Dr...

BMA anger at plans to tighten regulation.(British Medical Association opposes the bill passed by government)(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... The government's announcement of its plans to lay down the legal framework radically to change medical regulation drew the anger of the BMA last week. Prime minister Gordon Brown announced that the switch to the civil from the criminal...

Access 'better' at small practices.(small practices give better satisfaction to patient )(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Small practices in Northern Ireland have higher patient satisfaction ratings than large practices, a study has revealed. Patients in single-handed practices and those run by less than two whole-time equivalent GPs are happier overall and...

Tea for 250.
July 20, 2007... A GP was staggered when more than 250 grateful patients accepted his invitation to join him for strawberries and cream at his retirement party. Staff at Lordshill Health Centre in Southampton had to scour the local supermarkets to buy enough...

All GP training posts filled first time.(National Recruitment Office)
July 20, 2007... All places for general practice vocational training schemes starting in August have been filled in round one of the recruitment process. The 100 per cent fill rate means that the hundreds of would-be GP registrars who have not yet found...

Push to recruit chief executives from clinical ranks.(recruting policy of National Health Service. Modernisation Agency )(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... All shortlists for NHS trust chief executive posts should include at least one clinician within three to five years, the health service's top civil servant has said. NHS chief executive David Nicholson told a King's Fund conference last week...

Day-in-the life poster highlights GPs' workload.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... The BMA has published a poster detailing a day in the life of a typical GP, to highlight to patients how hard practices work, and sent it to each UK practice. The poster aims to make clear how much work GPs do behind the scenes - in addition...

Two-week rule delays 'routine' referrals.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... The 'two-week' rule for breast cancer referrals must be reviewed, say UK experts. They are concerned that pressure to refer high-risk patients to a specialist within two weeks of a GP appointment is leading to delayed care for patients...

Financial cutbacks hit GPs' links to carers.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... GPs who want to work more closely with carers in their communities are being hampered by financial cutbacks, according to the BMA. Extra resources would help GPs identify more carers, says the BMA's community care committee. GP Dr Helena...

SMS key to stopping smoking.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Smokers who used a text-messaging service to support smoking cessation were twice as likely to give up smoking as a control group, according to the findings of a UK pilot trial. The research, presented at the 36th annual conference for the...

GP staff run for Help a London Child.(Healthcare Republic)(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... A team from Healthcare Republic, GP's official website, took part in the BUPA Capital Run 10km in Hyde Park, London in aid of Help a London Child. Pictured (left to right) are: Rachel Liddle, Nick Bostock, Rob Nuzzaci, Sarah James, Selina...

Manifestos revealed for GPC race.(General Practitioners Committee)
July 20, 2007... The six candidates to replace outgoing GPC chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum have published manifestos to support their campaigns. Several candidates called for greater involvement of LMCs in policymaking and plan to make better use of the...

Beta-blockers save 7,800.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Adding beta-blocker use to the quality framework could prevent 7,800 deaths from heart failure and reduce hospital admissions by nearly 10,000 annually, UK research findings suggest. Although NICE guidance recommends beta-blockers for...

CHD cases 'missed' in most deprived areas.(Coronary heart disease )
July 20, 2007... Up to 35 per cent of CHD cases are 'missing' from practice disease registers in the most deprived PCTs, research findings suggest. Areas of high deprivation were more likely to report low CHD prevalence despite high mortality rates,...

Diagnose TB earlier by better monitoring.
July 20, 2007... GPs need to pay close attention to patients presenting with red flag symptoms for the presence of TB, according to an expert from the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Lymphadenopathy, weight loss and sweating are all key symptoms of TB...

Delays to sickle cell screening affecting choice.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... Early referral for antenatal sickle cell and thalassaemia is needed to combat delays, claim UK researchers. Sickle cell and thalassaemia scans should be carried out within the first eight to 10 weeks of pregnancy according to the NHS...

How GPs foiled the supersurgeries.(general practitioner)
July 20, 2007... London GPs should look to how GPs in Warrington fought the supersurgery threat. London's 5,000-plus GPs now know they could be for the chop. Under commission from NHS London, the professor of surgery at Imperial College has come up...

Behind the Headlines: Is there overdiagnosis of CVD risk?(cardiovascular disease )
July 20, 2007... A new CVD risk tool could change statin prescribing, writes Rachel Liddle. What is the story? Thousands of people are being prescribed statins unnecessarily, the press has reported. The traditional method of assessing...

Opinion: My patients are aliens.(Dr Watson's experience)
July 20, 2007... I've always felt that Dr Watson rather let us doctors down; a bumbling do-gooder, a bluff honest foil to Holmes' lacerating yet liable intellect. If I'd been there, things would have been different. 'What made you suspicious, Farrell?'...

Opinion: I'm a doctor, not a motor mechanic.(disease diagnosis in patients)(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... We were driving along, humming happily, the motorway glowing in the evening light, and then... 'What's that?' I said suspiciously. 'What's what?' My son, fused anatomically to his iPod, could hear only The Rasmus, whatever they are....

Editorial: New health minister with not-so-new idea.(Editorial)
July 20, 2007... Once again in the NHS we seem on the brink of the triumph of ideology over practicality. This time it is the fate of the NHS in London that is in the balance. New health minister Professor Sir Ara Darzi was previously commissioned to...

Opinion: Chris Lancelot on ... An NHS of many talents.(National Health Service)
July 20, 2007... I was intrigued (and secretly thrilled) by Gordon Brown's announcement that he was seeking 'a government of all the talents', because it is something I have believed in for a very long time. I detest the naive party politicking which does so...

Clinical: Journals Watch - Glucosamine, URTIs and diabetes.(upper respiratory tract infections)
July 20, 2007... Too busy to read the journals? Let Dr Simon Hunter guide you through the latest research. PREDICTING RESPONSE TO GLUCOSAMINE Br J Sports Med 2007; 41: 415-9 Glucosamine is one of the ingredients required to build cartilage, so...

Clinical: GPs should routinely screen for HIV.
July 20, 2007... Routine HIV testing should be established to reduce the spread of infection, say Dr Nadja Van Ginneken and Dr Mo Doshi. Screening for STIs within general practice, whether as part of an enhanced service or not, has become more common in...

Clinical: Managing cases of severe sunburn.
July 20, 2007... THE BASICS The best way to prevent sun damage is to stay out of strong, direct sunlight, says Dr Honor Merriman. In the summer months many people will become sunburnt but few will seek medical advice. Usually there is a history...

Clinical: At a glance - Erysipelas v Jessner lymphocytic infiltrate.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... ERYSIPELAS Clinical features - Acute bacterial infection of the dermis and upper subcutaneous tissue. - Usually caused by group-A beta-haemolytic streptococcus. - Patient is ill with high fever and rigors. - Tender,...

Clinical: The Good Old Days - Pregnancy.
July 20, 2007... Pregnancy is the condition of a female between the periods of conception and delivery. The state is to be considered both as regards the symptoms which usually indicate its existence, and also with respect to the bodily disorders which are...

Clinical: Websites covering hypocalcaemia.
July 20, 2007... Dr Keith Barnard recommends websites relating to this week's Clinical Review. HYPOCALCAEMIA IN A NUTSHELL This is not an attractive nutshell, but one of the most boring presentations you will see. But this plain text account of...

Clinical: Hypocalcaemia.
July 20, 2007... 1. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND AETIOLOGY Hypocalcaemia is the biochemical hallmark of functional hypoparathyroidism. The concentration of calcium in the extracellular fluid is crucial for many physiological processes, and is maintained within...

Clinical: Equipment Review - A fridge to keep your vaccines cool.
July 20, 2007... The right fridge is crucial for every practice. Our three GPs review some of the best. One thing a practice has to consider when buying a refrigerator for vaccine storage is that any old one will not do. Gone are the days of using a...

Registrar: Medico-Legal - Gaining consent in minor surgery.
July 20, 2007... Make sure you obtain proper consent for procedures like minor surgery, says Dr Rupert Lee of the MDU. As a GP registrar you are probably keen to undertake some minor surgical procedures if you are not doing so already. You may have been...

Registrar: MRCGP Exam Update - Screening for colorectal cancer.
July 20, 2007... Current situation - Colorectal cancer is amenable to screening due to its prolonged premalignant phase. - After the UK Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot was completed, a national screening programme was due to be rolled out in April...

Registrar: A registrar survival guide ... shadowing practice staff.(Brief article)
July 20, 2007... - Get organised It is common to start the registrar year spending some time shadowing practice staff to see how the team works. Obtain a timetable from the practice so that you know where you are expected to be and with whom so that you...

MedEconomics: Patient Involvement - How to ... make a surgery child-friendly.
July 20, 2007... A play area in the surgery helps create a relaxed environment for all patients. Making the surgery child-friendly is good for young patients, their parents and other patients. According to the results of patient surveys by Islington PCT...

MedEconomics: Choosing medical defence cover.
July 20, 2007... Finding the right type of medical defence policy for you is essential, writes Fiona Barr. Peace of mind costs GPs between pounds 2,500 and pounds 5,200 a year That will buy you 12 months' cover full-time work from a medical defence...

MedEconomics: Stock markets and superannuation.
July 20, 2007... OUT-OF-HOURS I am a full time GP and I also work for our local co-op out-of-hours services. Our co-op is not paying NHS pension contribution for the work that we do there. All our neighbouring out-of-hours co-ops are paying 14 per cent...

MedEconomics: The patient versus the medical evidence.
July 20, 2007... Convincing your patients of the medical facts can be challenging, writes George Winter. The consultation is going swimmingly when the dread words tumble out: 'Doctor, I was looking on the internet...' Sighing, you recall Lady...

GP Life: Why bother with bones in lamb?(Recipe)
July 20, 2007... Chris Duckham eschews the traditional rack of lamb in favour of a boneless loin for his summer dinner. During the summer months I find that lamb as a meat really comes into its own and, indeed, there is a natural and welcome seasonal...

GP Life: Win a pocket MP3 player.(Editorial)
July 20, 2007... Take your pick of an iPod Shuffle or a Zen Stone if you are a lucky winner. Podcasts, music, audiobooks - an MP3 player lets you live life with your own personal soundtrack. We have 20 teeny tiny MP3 players to give away. Whether you...

GP Life: Win a place on a fishing trip to Scotland.
July 20, 2007... Three GPs can win a place on a four-day trip to the north of Scotland for world-class trout fishing this September. Game fishing connoisseurs know there is nothing to compare with the 25,000 acres of loch, river and hill loch fishing...

Independent Nurse: News focus - Safeguarding health visitors' roles.
July 9, 2007... A recent review has given health visiting a fresh focus. Judy Sands looks at what it may mean for the profession's future. Over the past 10 years health visitors have felt that their profession was drifting. The expectations were too wide...

Independent Nurse: News focus - Scotland looks to go its own way.(Scottish National Party)
July 9, 2007... Is the new Scottish government planning a change of direction for the country's health system? Jennifer Veitch reports. When the Scottish National Party (SNP) set out its manifesto commitments before the Scottish Parliament elections, few...

Independent Nurse: Editorial - Health and social care must work together.(Editorial)
July 9, 2007... The number of people suffering from dementia in England is expected to rise from the estimated 560,000 people today to 750,000 by 2020, according to last week's National Audit Office report. People are living longer and improvements in...

Independent Nurse: Opinion - We must shape the future of nursing.
July 9, 2007... The decisions nurses make leave a legacy that impacts on many people - patients and colleagues. This is why I feel so strongly that nurses today need to consider how our decisions and practice will affect the nurses of tomorrow. I...

Independent Nurse: Opinion - The unions are wrong about social enterprise.
July 9, 2007... Unions' worries that social enterprises will have a negative impact on staff are unfounded, says Emma Wilson. Unions are demonstrating a poor grasp of the facts by pledging to fight social enterprises (IN, 28 May). Though the case for...

Independent Nurse: The Big Question - What does the new health secretary need to prioritise?(Alan Johnson appointed as new health secretary)
July 9, 2007... Former education secretary Alan Johnson has replaced Patricia Hewitt as health secretary, but will this appointment herald a change of direction? Leading healthcare figures explain what they think he should focus on in his first months in...

Independent Nurse: Clinical - Supplements for joint health.
July 9, 2007... Supplements are popular among patients with osteoarthritis, but how advantageous are they, asks Dr Alyson Huntley. In general, older people with chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) want to continue to be as independent as their...

Independent Nurse: Clinical - At a glance - Systemic sclerosis or scleroderma.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... DEFINITION AND EPIDEMIOLOGY - A chronic disease of unknown cause. - The main characteristics are diffuse fibrosis, degenerative changes and systemic vascular damage of the skin (scleroderma) and internal organs. - Forty per cent...

Independent Nurse: Clinical - Identifying gout joint health.
July 9, 2007... Gout can cause extreme pain, but management is straightforward, says Dr Harry Brown. Gout is a metabolic condition characterised by high uric acid levels within the body and can present as a rheumatological issue. The greater the level...

Independent Nurse: Clinical focus - Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
July 9, 2007... Overall key points - FASD denotes all the possible conditions associated with prenatal alcohol foetal effects. - Identifying a definite level of alcohol intake that causes harm to the foetus is problematic. - The DoH now advises...

Independent Nurse: Clinical - Neurology - Assessing back pain.
July 9, 2007... A thorough examination is essential for patients with back pain, says Dr Honor Merriman. CASE STUDY: Maria works at the local post office and has had several episodes of back pain. She also looks after her grandson and has had a complex...

Independent Nurse: Clinical - Prescribing for heart failure.
July 9, 2007... Patients with heart failure need stepwise treatment and careful monitoring, says Dr David Morris. Chronic heart failure arises when the output of blood from the heart is insufficient to meet the body's requirements. Between 1-2 per cent...

Independent Nurse: Clinical - Helping men with erectile dysfunction.
July 9, 2007... Primary care nurses can ensure a patient with sexual difficulties receives the help they need, write Ruth Hallam-Jones and Jane Hannah. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is now recognised as an important marker for possible vascular disease....

Independent Nurse: Competition - Win a portable DVD player.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... You could own one of Sony's latest portable DVD players by entering this week's exclusive competition. The Sony DVP-FX850 is the latest portable DVD player from Sony combines superb picture quality with an innovative, but highly practical...

Independent Nurse: Professional - How to ensure that nurses are involved in PECs and PBC.
July 9, 2007... Nurses must have a role on professional executive committees and play a part in commissioning to improve outcomes, write Donal Hynes and Yvonne Sawbridge. Health service provision has changed over the decades. As the body of medical...

Independent Nurse: Professional - Getting diabetes care right for children and young people.
July 9, 2007... Standards of care are still falling short four years after publication of the diabetes NSF, but a new report should pave the way for improvement, writes Joe Lepper. According to recent damning statistics, current health service provision...

Independent Nurse: Professional - Resources - Worth a look.
July 9, 2007... Non-medical prescribing conference A conference for non-medical prescribers will be held at the University of Reading on Thursday 27 September. Speakers include Barbara Stuttle, chair of the Association for Nurse Prescribing, Gul Root,...

Independent Nurse: Professional - Recommended patient resource.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Who has published it? This comprehensive guide to pregnancy was published by the DoH in May. It was written with advice from a range of organisations and professionals, including the Royal College of Midwives, the National Childbirth Trust...

Independent Nurse: Professional - Policy digest.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Partnerships for Better Health. Small Change, Big Difference: healthier choices for life. What is this document? Published by the DoH, this report from Caroline Flint, then minister of state for public health, highlights the government's...

Independent Nurse: Professional - In numbers - Drinking in pregnancy.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Estimated weekly alcohol consumption of new mothers during pregnancy. In May 2007, guidelines on drinking during pregnancy were revised. It is now recommended that women who are pregnant, or trying to conceive, should avoid drinking...

Independent Nurse: Professional - Workplace - Career profile - Julia Billington, Surbiton, Surrey.(Interview)
July 9, 2007... Why did you become a nurse? It's the old cliche: it was what I always wanted to do. I have no regrets. How has your career developed since you started nursing? I qualified in 1990, having enjoyed the social life of a student...

Independent Nurse: Professional - Q&A - What can I do to resolve a complaint about bullying?
July 9, 2007... Q: I am a nurse partner and am responsible for overseeing issues that relate to practice management. A receptionist has complained to me that she is being bullied by the practice manager. She says she is considering resigning and claiming...

Practice nurses must become leaders to increase influence.(Rosemary Cook of Queen's Nursing Institute)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... More practice nurses need to be willing to become leaders if the profession is to take control of its future, according to the director of the Queen's Nursing Institute, Rosemary Cook. Ms Cook said there does not seem to be a crop of...

DoH seeks staff views to produce new NHS plan.(Department of Health)(National Health Services)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... New health secretary Alan Johnson and prime minister Gordon Brown have announced a wide-ranging review of the NHS to decide on its priorities for the next 10 years. The attempt to produce another NHS plan will be headed by leading...

Report slams dementia care.
July 9, 2007... Dementia patients are not being diagnosed early enough nor being supported to live independently, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has found. The report said that spending on dementia patients was not cost effective, with too much...

Breathing exercises reduce symptoms.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Breathing and relaxation exercises can reduce asthma symptoms by a third according to a UK study. Researchers randomly assigned 85 people with asthma to receive either five sessions of breathing exercises, known as the Papworth method,...