Book Review: Time to Heal
Richard Churchill reviews a remarkable memoir from a remarkable doctor. Don't expect comfortable nostalgia!
The home of general practice and family medicine
The power of personal care: The value of the patient – GP consultation
The COVID 19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic shift from face- to-face to remote consulting within general practice. But how will this impact ongoing patient care? Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Simon Gregory and Denis Pereira Gray examine the evidence.
Ambivalent sexism within medicine: Four medical students’ reflections
As doctors we are committed to justice and an end to discrimination. So surely sex discrimination in medicine is a thing of the past? These four medical students from Kings are not so sure.
Any doctor who thinks the new model of GP is better must ask themselves – from whose point of view?
Afrosa Ahmed reflects on a telephone consultation that will change her patient's life forever. She missed the ability to reach out physically to her patient as she took in the news. We are human beings, who support one another in the consultation.
It’s time to join in the conversation!
What a year we have had! BJGP Life is the GP's coffee lounge - let's talk together about our world and our ideas. BJGP Life invites you to join in the conversation. Here's how....
The Not So Fortunate Man – The Changing Face Of General Practice And Public Opinion
The reputation of general practice, once seen as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the NHS, is under threat. James Hibberd looks at the evidence.
Excess mortality in the first COVID peak
Professor Simon de Lusignan talks about the factors found to be associated with excess mortality in England in this large study.
Are we safer cycling?
We know that cycling makes for a healthier commute for all, but GPs need evidence to help them allay patient's concerns if we are to incorporate active travel into our standard health promotion toolkit. Bethan Jones gives us the evidence.
Counting myself in: A consultation in primary care that changed my practice
A medical student reflects on their own anxieties, a patient that changed their practice, and mental illness in the medical profession.
Book Review: The Gynae Geek by Anita Mitra
Phanida Fung finds that "as a female GP, gynaecological problems are the number-one topic my non-medic friends seek advice for. However, help is here." Phanida reviews "The Gynae Geek" by Anita Mitra.
Book review – Scattered Limbs: A Medical Dream-Book
Might a better understanding of the history of medicine and an evolutionary perspective of disease actually improve our medical practice? Pearce Cusack reviews "Scattered Limbs: A Medical Dream-Book" by Iain Bamforth.
Protecting pregnancies from the harmful effects of ACE inhibitors
In this episode Dr Elizabeth Lovegrove talks about research into ACE inhibitors and ARBs and the risk they pose in pregnancy.
Challenges in Access to New Vaccines: How should we move forward with a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine?
We are all hoping for a Covid vaccine that works. But even if we get one, will it be that simple? Ramiro Gilardino and Victoria Malek-Pascha consider five critical issues.
Book Review: Learning following the toppling of Colston’s statue
Why is the injustice of racism still an open sore in western culture? Paul Main takes our exploration forward with his review of two forceful books.
Embracing Change: Reflections from a newly qualified GP
For a patient, time with their GP is everything; time to explain, connect, and trust. For the GP, time is just as essential. Not only for improved patient care, but for reflection on the enormous and constant changes to the profession. In
Touch Matters – touch, COVID-19, the physical examination and 21st century general practice
We are embodied social beings. We thrive on nurturing relationships. Touch forms a key part of those relationships in everyday life but is also a powerful form of communication for clinicians, allowing for wordless dialogue, presence and embodied empathy. Paquita de Zulueta
Everybody Hurts Sometimes
30 years ago we were told we were not treating pain adequately. There was a push to give people more analgesia. So, armed with our opioids and gabapentinoids we went and we medicated. But peoples' pain got worse. Katie Barnett examines what
Book review: The Compassion Project: A case for hope & humankindness from the town that beat loneliness.
Loneliness is a serious public health challenge facing the UK. David Jeffrey reviews a book describing the impact of an innovative community project in Somerset.
Operational failures in primary care: the real world stresses of being a GP
In this episode Dr Carol Sinnott talks about research into operational failures in primary care and how they impact on the daily stresses of being a GP.
End-of-life care during COVID-19: The central role of primary care must not be overlooked
It has been well reported that those in the community and end-of-life care have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, but little attention has been given to GPs and district nurses working in end-of-life care and the positive stories they have
Asthmatic inhalers: reduce, reuse and recycle
Asthma treatment has improved markedly over recent years. But James Oxley wonders why we are not taking action to reduce environmental pollution from discarded inhalers.
Home visits for vulnerable older people: journeys to the ‘Far End’
Health care has seen a seismic shift to the utilisation of telehealth. Through the use of this technology many practices have seen a significant reduction in home visits, an acceleration of existing trends. However, at the boundaries of such acceleration we find
SAPC Essay Prize: A consultation in primary care that changed my practice
Aiman Aslam won the SAPC medical student essay prize for her piece reflecting on a consultation that changed her practice. She considers an elderly patient with dementia and the impact of her culture alongside the evidence base.
Covid-19: communicating with numbers
Numbers have no voice. We, however, give them meaning. Using numbers we can twist the narrative to suit the point we want to make. Following his spectacular rise on social media Samar Razaq investigates the dark arts of manipulation, politics and statistics.
What happens if we don’t treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections with antibiotics?
In this episode Professor Tammy Hoffmann talks about research into the natural history of uncomplicated urinary tract infections that could have a big impact on conversations with women and treatment with antibiotics.
Lessons in Adversity
Doctors are not strangers to adversity, both in the lives of our patients and sometimes in our own. Judith Dawson examins two inspirational accounts to tell us how we can practically help.
Supporting women with female genital mutilation in primary care
In this episode, we talk about research that explores the perspectives of GPs and considers how we can help women and girls who are at risk or have experienced female genital mutilation.
How I use drawing and creative processes within the GP consultation
Holly Quinton describes the use of metaphor and drawing in consultations to improve understanding, compliance and rapport. This can help the GP to explain medical terms to a patient, but it can also help the doctor to understand the patient's experience.
Patient Access targets alone do not raise quality of care – time for the Welsh GMS Contract to reflect this
The Welsh government is introducing prescriptive guidelines regarding access to GPs. Susan Goodfellow and Gareth Thomas examine their wisdom, and explore possible alternatives.
Psychiatrist in the Chair: The Official Biography of Anthony Clare by Brendan Kelly and Muiris Houston
Fiona Baskett reviews the soon to be released 'Psychiatrist in the Chair: The Official Biography of Anthony Clare', detailing the life of Anthony Clare (1942–2007), one of the leading psychiatrists of his generation.
Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of older adults
In this episode we talk to Professor Samuel Wong about his research into COVID-19 and its impact on loneliness and mental health in a cohort of older adults in Hong Kong.
Is ‘Cycling on Prescription’ a gear change or a wrong turn?
The UK Government’s Gear Change policy heralds a ‘bold vision for cycling and walking’, and has been a welcome development amidst the recent headlines of sadness and uncertainty. Heather Jones examines what is needed to make such a vision work.
I’m training, not selling ice-cream.
David Smith looks at GP Training programs and argues that the focus of secondary care placements is not the development of a well rounded primary care clinician, but to address service needs. He has some suggestions to make things better.
‘Mortality in the balance’. A book review of ‘Histories’ by Sam Guglani
The dedication and humility of NHS nurses, porters, doctors, switchboard operators, medical students and secretaries has never wavered for the past seventy-two years. This book review by Fiona Baskett reminds us that whether giving or receiving care we all have our vulnerabilities.
Delegation within Integrated Care Systems: What might aid practice and process?
While demand for services increases, the NHS continues to experience a significant workforce crisis. To help pool resources the NHS Long Term Plan aims to integrate services across sectors, but what will need to be done to ensure that the delegation of
Moonshot or shot in the dark?
Boris Johnson announced plans to carry out up to 10 million tests in a day to allow people who are negative to be able to continue with their life as normal. This "moonshot" is planned to be financed to the tune of
The Citadel by A. J. Cronin: A symbolic title
The Citadel, a 1937 novel by A. J. Cronin, explores the themes of social and health inequalities, drawing from his personal experiences working as a doctor in Britain’s pre-NHS era. The protagonist, newly qualified and virtuous Dr Andrew Manson, begins his medical
Healthy individuals depend on healthy communities, a healthy society and a healthy planet
“Health is made at home, hospitals are for repairs: building a healthy and health-creating society” is a radical book from the global health leader and former chief executive of the NHS. Rather than “prescribing” or telling people what to do, we should
Continuity of care
Dr Mairead Murphy and Prof Chris Salisbury talk about continuity of care. It is already known that relational continuity of care (seeing the same GP over time) is valued by patients with long-term conditions. This qualitative study identifies that patients believe that
The view from the ferris wheel
Who would have wanted to be a lead clinician in Public Health England at the start of the pandemic? Judith Dawson finds that trying to balance the population losses against individual and economic loss is an impossible job. But in a typical