Doctor articles from September 2004

Doctor archives from September 2004

GPs who retired before new contract may get pension uplift.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Superannuation GPs who retired before implementation of the new contract are likely to receive an extra pot of cash to account for a conservative estimate of this year's practice profits. The NHS Pensions Agency had set an interim...

Tories want GPs brought back into OOH planning.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Out-of-hours Simon Ebbett The Government must mandate PCOs to collaborate with local doctors when designing out-of-hours' services and ensure it remains a GP-led service, the Conservatives insist. Shadow health secretary Andrew...

Bisphosphonate found to; work in monthly regimen.
September 3, 2004... Osteoporosis Steve Ford GPs could soon prescribe a bisphosphonate with a monthly dosing regime after researchers found its intermittent use offered significant anti-fracture protection in patients at risk of osteoporosis. A study...

Fury at personal injury lawyers' cash for cases offer.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Working practices GPs are furious at lawyers' offers of cash for referring patients with potential personal injury claims. A law firm has written to 1,600 GPs in Merseyside and Lancashire offering [pounds sterling]175 per referral. An...

Psychiatrists dispute risk of suicide in children on SSRIs.
September 3, 2004... Mental health Anna Sayburn The UK's reaction to reports of suicidal thoughts in children taking SSRIs may have been too extreme, a symposium of psychiatrists has found. The 16th World Congress of the International Association of Child...

Funding wrangle; hits GP referrals.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Referrals Simon Ebbett GPs ARE having routine referrals rejected as they are caught in a funding dispute between a hospital trust and their PCT. Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust (HHNT) is having consultants screen all GP referrals and...

Shipman whistle-blowers face misconduct charges.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Shipman THE SIX GPs whose practice raised the alarm about Harold Shipman face charges of serious professional misconduct. Hyde GPs Dr Raj Patel, Dr Jeremy Dirckze, Dr Alastair MacGillivray, Dr Peter Bennett, Dr Susan Booth and Dr Stephen...

Beta-blockers cut heart failure deaths in over-70s.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Heart disease Beta-blockers significantly cut mortality risk and hospitalisation in heart failure patients aged over 70, according to a landmark trial. The findings, announced at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Munich, are...

Government to cut GPs' golden hellos.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Workforce Rachel Solotti The Government is planning to cut the 'golden hello' scheme so only new GPs who work in poor areas will get cash. The Department of Health, NHS Confederation and GPC are in discussions over how the programme...

'Defective' contracts; put PMS GPs in peril.
September 3, 2004... Omissions leave doctors at mercy of trusts, warn BMA lawyers Simon Meek PMS practices could be unwittingly giving PCOs carte blanche to change their financial arrangements by signing 'defective' contracts, the BMA's legal advisor has...

High BMI key; risk in diabetes.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Journal news High body mass index is a more important risk factor for diabetes than physical inactivity, according to a US study. Researchers monitored weight, height and recreational activities in over 37,000 women over seven years....

Allergens clue; in child asthma.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Journal news Reducing exposure to specific allergens in the home can reduce asthma symptoms in inner-city children, researchers have found. They tailored interventions to reduce exposure to allergens, such as dust-mites, in asthmatic...

MMR-autism; link rebuffed.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Journal news There is no statistically significant link between MMR and the risk of autism or other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), according to UK researchers. A team studied the rate of MMR uptake in 1,294 patients with a PDD...

COPD diagnosis crisis.(Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
September 10, 2004... Research Steve Ford GPs need help tackling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because of worrying levels of under-diagnosis, warn researchers. More than half of patients affected by COPD may first be incorrectly diagnosed...

Controversial chaperones ruling due out.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Working practices New GUIDANCE about chaperones are expected to be announced this week with the publication of a report into disgraced former GP Clifford Ayling. The independent report, due to be published in Parliament yesterday, is...

Drug-abuse GP banned; 'to protect profession'.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... The GMC has suspended a GP for a year for falsifying prescriptions and taking diamorphine and other drugs despite his existing court punishment, saying it has to protect the profession's image. A GMC hearing last week heard that Dr Gordon...

Flexible careers go; under microscope.
September 10, 2004... Working practices Rachel Solotti The Government is reviewing the flexible careers scheme (FCS) after speculation that it was planning to dump it altogether. The NHS Confederation has taken over responsibility for the scheme from the...

GPs to lead fast-track inquiries into SIDs.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... SIDS GPs are to host multidisciplinary case meetings following any sudden unexpected infant deaths (SIDs) under new recommendations. The Royal College of Path-ologists and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have produced a...

Quality checks ; threaten patient confidentiality.
September 10, 2004... Trusts get powers to demand GPs hand over identifiable information for performance review Doctor reporters GPs fear new rules on providing data during contract quality audits will mean they have to risk patients' confidentiality in...

'Pragmatic' PCOs get services show on the road.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Enhanced services ALMOST six months into the new GMS contract, PCOs are taking a 'pragmatic' approach to sorting out enhanced services contracts, with many forging makeshift deals. Earlier this year, GPs feared that PCOs would refuse to...

First consent row breaks out; over contract quality checks.(primary care trusts demand data for quality and outcome framework assessments from general practitioners)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... New Contract Rachel Solotti A single-hander has been asked to hand in 200 sets of patient records as PCTs flex their powers to demand data for quality and outcome framework (QOF) assessments. Leigh GP Dr Stephen Fox is refusing to...

New pharmacological option ; for stress urinary incontinence.(Duloxetine)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Incontinence GPs can for the first time prescribe a pharmacological treatment for stress urinary incontinence. Duloxetine (Yentreve), launched on Monday, is licensed for moderate to severe SUI at a recommended dosage of 40mg twice daily....

New study contradicts NICE over arthritis.(National Institute for Clinical Excellence)(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug)
September 17, 2004... Arthritis Steve Ford A COX2 inhibitor should be the drug of choice for arthritis patients, say the authors of a trial data review, contradicting current NICE guidance. A UK study has found a COX2 inhibitor causes half the serious...

Ministers lay down law on out-of-hours access.(general practitioners to provide night time home visits)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Out-of-hours The Government says patients must be able to get night-time home visits from a GP and have access to Saturday morning surgeries when PCTs take over out-of-hours. The ruling is part of guidance being sent to PCTs on providing...

'Retirement age hike will scare away new doctors'.(British Medical Association's survey report)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Pensions Government plans to put the NHS pension retirement age up to 65 will worsen the recruitment crisis in medicine, GPs are warning. The largest ever BMA survey of its members found over half of doctors believed the move would deter...

GPs' role in child checks cut.(National Service Framework)(Health visitors to assess childrens health)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... NSF Steve Ford Health visitors are to take on much of GPs' workload in assessing and monitoring newborns and infants, under new regulations. Under the national service framework for children, which was launched on Wednesday, the Child...

Each GP to get personal; advice on revalidation.(Moliere-systems company )(new portals for general practitioners)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Revalidation Cathy Comerford GPs will get detailed individual guidance on how to get through revalidation on personal sections of the GMC website, says the council. The GMC is setting up a 'myGMC' portal for each doctor which will...

GPs pay for Ayling; with more scrutiny.(Clifford Ayling's inquiry brings new rules for general practitioners)
September 17, 2004... Defence experts warn findings put doctors at mercy of trusts Cathy Comerford GPs would have to declare all employment outside their contracts to their PCTs so trusts can track their performance and disciplinary records, under new...

Hep B jab backed despite link to MS.(Hepatits B)(multiple sclerosis)
September 17, 2004... Immunisation Steve Ford hepatitis B vaccine may increase the risk of suffering multiple sclerosis by three times, but doctors want the UK vaccination policy to stay unchanged. A prospective study using the general practice research...