Doctor articles from January 2007

Doctor archives from January 2007

Anti-obesity drugs' value questioned.
January 9, 2007... prescribing The impact of anti-obesity drugs has been vastly over-estimated, specialists claim. Drug treatment has failed to produce consistent weight loss over the long term, argue Dr Raj Padwal and Dr Sumit Majumdar of Canada's...

GPs demand ballot.
January 9, 2007... Amena Saleem GPs are calling for a boycott of unpopular Government schemes such as Choose and Book (C&B) in protest at the capping of their pensions. They believe they should be balloted on industrial action over the issue, with action taking...

GPs face squeeze over statin scrips.
January 9, 2007... prescribing Steve Ford & Paola Accalai Ministers have stepped up pressure on GPs to prescribe cheaper statins in order to shore up the health service's creaking budget. The Government claims the NHS could save at least [pounds sterling]85m...

HPV vaccine plan set for go-ahead this year.
January 9, 2007... immunisation Adam Legge A human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme in pre-teen girls looks set to start later this year. It is thought school nurses will carry out the routine campaign, but GPs will be asked to run catch-up...

Leaked document predicts serious shortage of GPs.
January 9, 2007... workforce There will be a major short-fall in the GP workforce in just three years' time, according to a leaked Government workforce strategy document. The Department of Health plan, which deals with spending and workforce planning...

Scots GPs divided on GMS2.
January 9, 2007... contract Scottish GPs remain as divided about the benefits of the new GP contract as the rest of their colleagues across the UK, a survey suggests. A Scottish Executive poll of 2,380 GPs found a quarter of respondents said job...

Agree to QOF changes or lose cash, GPs told.
January 16, 2007... contract Steve Ford Extra investment will be lost to general practice because GP negotiators have refused to agree to significant contract changes, NHS Employers (NHSE) has warned. The threat, made public in an NHSE statement,...

Extended deadline to complete simplified pensions certificate.
January 16, 2007... Pensions An improved certificate of pensionable profits has been published by NHS Pensions, designed to be easier to fill in than previous forms. The deadline for the certificate's completion has been extended by one month to 31 March...

GPs not kept in the loop on mental health scrips.
January 16, 2007... mental health Mental health and acute trusts must urgently improve the way they communicate with GPs over medication issues, according to the Gov-ernment's health watchdog. The Healthcare Commiss-ion has published two reports into...

No ballot yet in fight over pension cap.
January 16, 2007... pensions row Negotiators have for the moment declined to ballot the profession on industrial action over the cap on GP pensions, despite calls for a vote from grass-roots GPs. The GPC said it favoured concentrating on mounting a legal...

OTC Viagra in pipeline.
January 16, 2007... prescribing Plans may be under way to make erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra) available over the counter. Drug manufacturer Pfizer is considering submitting an OTC licence application to the European Medicines...

Pill 'risk' for obese women.
January 16, 2007... contraception Obese women who take oral contraceptives may be increasing their risk of venous thromboembolism by up to five-fold, researchers warn. They monitored cardiovascular outcomes associated with use of the combined oral...

Specialists reject heart test 'hype'.
January 16, 2007... cardiovascular Adam Legge High levels of beta-natriuretic peptide (BNP) independently predict the risk of death in people with stable coronary heart disease, latest research suggests. The findings have attracted widespread media coverage,...

Tighter quality rules for GPs.
January 16, 2007... clinical governance Steve Ford and Amena Saleem GPs face having to meet a new raft of quality and safety standards, under guidance being developed by the Government. The forthcoming document is intended to help bring GPs in line with...

BNF urged to clarify CKD advice.(British National Formulary, chronic kidney disease)(Brief article)
January 23, 2007... Prescribing Confusion over prescribing for people with stable chronic kidney disease (CKD) has prompted calls for an overhaul of the BNF section on renal impairment. Dr Donal O'Donoghue, clinical director of renal medicine at Hope...

Pay cap threat.
January 23, 2007... Remuneration Steve Ford Government negotiators will attempt to impose a cap on future GP profits, it has been revealed. Dr Barbara Hakin, chairman of the NHS Employers negotiating team, said on Friday that negotiators wanted to...

Life change as good as drugs for diabetes.
January 23, 2007... health improvement Effective lifestyle interventions have at least as much impact as drugs in delaying the development of diabetes in people who have impaired glucose tolerance, according to a UK analysis. Researchers from Leicester...

NICE proved right on beta-blocker danger.
January 23, 2007... Hypertension Adam Legge Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and ACE- inhibitors are the antihypertensive drugs least likely to cause diabetes, say researchers, while beta-blockers and diuretics are the worst. The data appears to endorse...

No end to painkiller licence pullback.(Brief article)
January 23, 2007... Prescribing The phased withdrawal of the painkiller co-proxamol will continue, say regulators, in spite of renewed calls to overturn the ban. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said last week that co-proxamol was...

Sparks fly as PBC pioneers hire surgeon.(Public Benefit Corporation )(Brief article)
January 23, 2007... commissioning A group of GPs has run into conflict with a local hospital trust after commissioning their own surgeon to perform waiting list work. The clash is expected to be the first of many as practice-based commissioners flex their...

Tool helps to spot high-risk over-75s.(Emergency Admission Risk Likelihood Index)
January 23, 2007... emergency care Paola Accalai Primary care researchers have developed a tool to predict the likelihood of emergency hospital admission within the next year in people aged 75 years or over. The Emergency Admission Risk Likelihood Index...

Arterial disease cases 'slip through the net'.
January 30, 2007... cardiovascular Adam Legge Many patients with peri-pheral arterial disease (PAD) are falling through the net and going untreated or under-treated, according to latest UK research. The authors cite the omission of PAD from the quality and...

Cash cuts hit referrals.
January 30, 2007... referral schemes Amena Saleem Many PCTs are abusing referral management schemes, in flagrant breach of Government guidance, as they desperately seek to reach financial stability. The DoH's operating framework for this year stipulates that...

GPs concerned by increase in report requests.
January 30, 2007... Workload GPs are receiving a rising number of report requests from insurance companies, thanks to aggressive telemarketing. Doctors' leaders say they have received a growing number of calls over the past six months from GPs concerned...

Parents back child HPV jabs.
January 30, 2007... immunisation Vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) would be popular among parents, claims Cancer Research UK, but GPs warn that a substantial minority are yet to be convinced. The charity sent 1,205 questionnaires...

Test could predict two-day stroke risk.
January 30, 2007... stroke Paola Accalai A simple assessment tool could allow GPs to identify patients at high risk of stroke within two days of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Figures suggest that, of the 70,000 patients diagnosed with TIA in the UK...