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Andrew Papanikitas

Andrew Papanikitas

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Are good GPs holistic?

Is holistic part of being good or just a part of being a GP? GPs work in a complex adaptive network interacting in many interconnected ways with wider society. Terms like ‘whole person’, ‘holistic’, and even ‘ecological’ may fail to completely grasp
1 November 2024
4 mins read

Thinking about general practice as the dust settles

"As I write this, the UK is having a general election. By the time you read this, a new government in the UK will hopefully be discovering that thinking about general practice in a meaningful way is a fundamentally good thing to
26 July 2024
3 mins read

Guardians of the primary care wall

GPs have been called ‘gatekeepers’ to health care, because of our role in determining eligibility for medical treatment and social support. And yet we have long known that GPs do more than this. Our wall is not a line but an indistinct
28 June 2024
5 mins read
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Medicine, patients, and the law

Andrew Papanikitas reviews and reflects on a good critical sourcebook on the law for GP trainers and trainees looking to flesh out a case-based discussion or tutorial, as well as for the GP looking for reading in response to a patient unmet
13 June 2024
3 mins read
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An adventure in space and theme

The Life and Time section is in fact bigger on the inside, as submissions air online and a selection are chosen for a print edition, conditional on (with apologies for the awful pun) space and theme. This month’s Life and Times focuses
26 April 2024
4 mins read
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The real Doc Martin

Notwithstanding the corny connection to a fictional character, and the 'old school' approach to confidentiality, this is a charming and authentic memoir. An anecdote is by definition an unpublished story - and Martin Stagg has converted his anecdotes into 'ecdotes.'
9 March 2024
3 mins read

The Health Fix

What is intensely likeable for me as a GP in his 40s is that The Health Fix also written by a GP in his 40s, with an engaging approach that blends clinical experience, medical evidence and personal history.
3 February 2024
2 mins read
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Caritas in a cold climate

This issue’s life and times articles describe the failure of society and policymakers to value general practice. To value is to understand and appreciate both the beauty and appropriate uses of a thing. It also has a sense of quantitate weighing -
26 January 2024
5 mins read
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Going the extra mile

"The extra mile is a problematic concept. If everyone goes the extra mile, do we lose sight of which miles are extra? If we are to embark on our quest then the readings in this month’s Life and Times help us to
29 December 2023
4 mins read

The ‘Deluxe’

The 'deluxe' breakfast came with half a mushroom, and this was unexpectedly upsetting. The menu had boasted ‘a portobello mushroom’ and the absent half felt fraudulent, stolen even.
6 August 2023
2 mins read

Gender justice requires gender amnesty

'When reading the spread of articles in this issue it struck me that we need diversity to be better clinicians, colleagues, and citizens.' Andrew Papanikitas reflects this month's Life and Times articles, discussing gender, diversity, narrative and queer bioethics.
30 June 2023
4 mins read

The Oxford handbook of medical ethics and law

It is a brief and easily searchable quick reference. and it covers key ethical tools to think through a case and it covers key aspects of the law as well as a variety of practice specific situations, but has an interesting flaw...
24 June 2023
3 mins read
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How to teach economics to your dog

We all need to enjoy learning about society from time to time (emphasis on enjoy). However, many of the concepts discussed in this book have a direct bearing on policy and practice in relation to primary care.
6 May 2023
2 mins read
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Being philosophical when it’s complicated

We can use concepts and language to share ideas/help us see things we might overlook. We can use the narratives of others to extend our own experiences of the world. The dangers from being intellectually and morally passive compel us to embrace
27 January 2023
5 mins read
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Five book-ish stocking fillers

These are five small 'stocking-filler' books that you might see in a bookshop or a charity shop. They are all short and readable, and small enough to fit into most Christmas stockings. They all importantly have some inspiration and wisdom with which
24 December 2022
3 mins read
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