Have you ever looked at a cloud and seen the likeness of a cartoon character? This phenomenon is known as pareidolia. Laura Amarin and Camille Gajria tell us about pareidolia in medicine.
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Latest
GPs are often the first and last healthcare contact for those who die by suicide. Maria Michail shares news of an excellent resource to support both GPs and their patients.
How many times a day are we hearing the ‘R’ word in our lives? The request of healthcare staff to be r*******t at a time when primary care is assaulted daily by the British media and those in power is
Being able to connect to others, to find joy and meaning in a common purpose, is not an added extra but is the very stuff of human life. But what of the effects of the Covid pandemic? Johanna Reilly discusses
Hannah Milton shares her experience of compassion fatigue following being both a mum and a GP at the same time. She shares how she not only recovered, but how her recovery has left her now better able to empathise with patients.
The climate and ecological emergency is nothing less than the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced. With the meat industry being the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases could the best option to save our planet be the mass transition to a
Giles Hazan reflects on his experience of high dose opiates following surgery.
The development of multi-disciplinary teams working as part of the primary care team alongside GPs in Northern Ireland is both new and untested anywhere else in the UK. Peter McNelly tells us about Northern Ireland's experience.
Cutting the doctor out of the diagnostic loop is often not such a good idea. Chris Ellis reminds us of some basic truths......
Case presentations based on a problem-oriented system can function as a medium through which medical students gain a disease-focused viewpoint. Koki Kato and Junichiro Miyachi suggest that to change our viewpoint we should change our language.
Research and Clinical
General practice is ideally placed to introduce changes to become more environmentally sustainable. Dr Vasumathy Sivarajasingam shows, with primary and secondary research, that increased awareness of inhaler recycling among patients and better signposting from primary care staff may be sorely needed.
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The immune-system is complex and is interconnected with the central nervous and endocrine systems. Regina Ford discusses a wide range of scientific research that looks at diet, supplements, exercise, sleep quality and stress/mental health, to give us a holistic overview
patients and public are now more involved in research via PPI groups. But PPI members tend to be white, middle-class and retired. The National Institute for Health Research has published recommendations re diversity and inclusion in PPI groups. Danielle Nimmons
Frustrated. Exhausted. Burnt out. If we don’t support those working in primary care, the NHS as we know it will no longer exist.
Making a diagnosis is like detecting the correct clues to solve a crime. But Samar Razaq reminds us that in general practice the crime scene seems to keep on changing......
What can we do about Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy? James Bailey and his colleagues report on the outcome of their initiative in an East London Practice.
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Armna Ali reflects on her experience as a GP during Covid...... and what happened when the clapping stopped......
"Long Covid" presents as a constellation of symptoms that are debilitating, persistent and unexplained, often limiting patients' day-to-day activities. David Thompson and his colleagues describe a novel approach - the Optimal Health Programme - which they are now trialing for
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a particularly heavy toll on care homes in the UK. Two GPs share their own personal experiences working in this environment over the past year, and dive deep into the data.
Boris Johnson tells us we have to “learn to live with Covid”. There is much talk of using “common sense” but Peter Toon reminds us this is not all that common and discusses some of the issues involved.
Why does France seem to be so much better at protecting its population than the UK? Peter Toon reflects on his experience, and advises the Government to put some cheese as well as eggs in its basket.
What can a doctor offer to a patient who has lost three first degree relatives within three weeks? Sajitha Rahman reflects on the role of doctor as witness, in the midst of grief.
Do you feel confident in meeting the needs of Afghan asylum seekers and refugees? The issues are not new. Emily Clark and Rebecca Farrington give us some valuable guidance.
My country was trying to cultivate the tree of democracy and freedom when on the 1 February 2021 the military coup took us back to the dark days of military rule ...
John Frey updates us on the state of family medicine in the US as doctors have reacted to the Covid pandemic. A lot of it sounds familiar..........
Being able to connect to others, to find joy and meaning in a common purpose, is not an added extra but is the very stuff of human life. But what of the effects of the Covid pandemic? Johanna Reilly discusses her concerns.
We value patient autonomy, but how free are we, how free are our patients? Will Mackintosh considers how constraints on freedom contribute to health inequalities.
Could the mistreatment of women by men be linked to how these men behaved towards other boys when they were youngsters themselves? Arthur Kaufman, a clinical psychologist, considers this hypothesis.
Amar Rughani reflects on the opportunities offered by retirement. A lifetime of service to the community has shaped who we are, so this is an opportunity to embrace that. The life to come could be the best yet.
Two years ago we did not know that we would all be caring for patients with long covid. Feryad Hussain surveys the current evidence.
Trainees and students
Although the necessity of hand hygiene is well known, regular monitoring of technique compliance is required. Darshana Jeyaruban reflects on the result of her audit.
Andrew MacFarlane is the winner of the 2021 medical student essay prize of the Society of Academic Primary Care. This is his winning essay.
Two final year medical students share their experience of OSCEs, where they and their BME peers experienced differences in patient feedback and in general OSCE marks between themselves and their white counterparts. They make a plea for structural changes that will ensure fairness for all.
Socially excluded populations have some of the worst health outcomes relating to mortality, morbidity, service use and, more recently, COVID-19. A group of 5th year Medical Students at the University of Edinburgh tell us what they are doing about it.
InnovAiT has been sent out to Associates in Training (AiTs) since January 2008, but it seems to be a bit of an open secret. It’s a secret that Richard Draper is keen to share.
BJGP Interviews
Dr Claire Friedemann Smith talks about the patient perspective on GPs who use gut feelings to help facilitate diagnosis.
Professor Helen Snooks tells us about a study exploring why a risk prediction tool (PRISM) in general practice actually increased emergency and hospital admissions and we discuss the importance of evaluating interventions before they are introduced as policy.
Dr Lucy Martin tells us about her research into mid-career resilience. Resilience is often discussed and, as a concept, it is not generally well understood but with GPs under severe pressure it is now more important than ever for us to explore
News and notices
The Kieran Sweeney Prize is awarded each year by the Tamar Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners. This year's title: “What does the future hold for the relationship between a patient and their GP in the UK?”
Summer time! Perhaps a moment to reflect? Get creative and share your thoughts - here are some suggestions for articles for BJGP Life.
BJGP Life is putting out a call for articles on the theme of “General Practice after Covid-19“. We will be accepting articles on this theme over the rest of this month. It is time to build our future. We, and your colleagues, are waiting