As the net zero agenda gains prominence within the health sector, NICE guidelines are still not providing clinicians routinely with material to help decision making, argue Emma Radcliffe and Sophie von Heimendahl .
Three years of war have tested the very limits of Ukraine’s healthcare system. Yet, they have also revealed an extraordinary capacity for resilience, adaptation, and innovation. As the war continues, investing in primary care remains essential—not only for health but for hope.
The incidence of throat cancer, particularly oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, is rising, with a worrying prevalence in the younger population. Callum Higgins and Paul McNamara examine the possible causes, and their implications.
"Edward Jenner remains the most famous GP in the UK and is still very relevant today. He had multiple talents; here, I focus on his main three: GP, scientist, and writer."
This challenges the notion that clinical interactions should be structured according to a strict division between diagnosing disease and understanding the patient’s broader illness experience.
In this episode, we talk to Professor Anne Slowther about use of ReSPECT forms for advanced care planning in general practice.
In the same way there is an unsettling parallel in the rise of obesity and ultra-processed food from the 1970’s onwards, the rise of faster and more invasive digital technology seems to link with a decline in mental health. Giles Dawnay discusses
"It raises timely questions regarding the concept on a 'use by' date to a life. It stirs in us the realisation that despite not having 'capacity' to make decisions about medical or financial affairs, a patient may nonetheless be immersed in a
If it is difficult to agree what exactly we mean by health, it is perhaps unsurprising that we also approach unhealth in a number of different ways. Ben Hoban reflects on the meanings of 'unhealth.'
Yonder: a diverse selection of primary care relevant research stories from beyond the mainstream biomedical literature
In this episode, we talk to Professor Paul Little about the Renewed trial digital intervention for cancer survivors.
Family medicine, by its very nature, often serves as a crucial counterpoint to the potential overreach of the purely biomedical model. Yuya Yokota reflects on the benefits of applied phenomenology to the GP consultation.
A recent House of Lords report puts the blame for rising obesity squarely at the feet of the food industry, stating that marketing of unhealthy food products has created an ‘obesogenic’ food environment. Nada Khan investigates the broken food system.
Despite the legal and professional requirements to treat individuals with SpLDs without disadvantage, alongside evidence supporting earlier diagnosis & supportive strategies, the Committee of General Practice Education Directors (COGPED) still do not recommend screening of GP Registrars (GPRs) at the commencement of
In this episode, we take a look back at the most read research papers of 2024.
"The Deep End project demonstrates change can be made by practitioners working together to advocate for primary care to be at its best where it is needed most. As a professional group, we hold more power than we realise. If we do
High-quality GP conferences should raise their standards and report on their 'triple bottom line' — the economic, social, and environmental impacts and outcomes.
In the hope that we can reflect on not losing the foundations of medicine, but also hold with conviction the new tools that we have been given with which to help and to heal.
In this episode, we talk to Professor Joanne Reeve about the new RCGP definition of a GP.
Perhaps we can characterise these two kinds of practice as representing either efficiency in providing a high volume of appointments or effectiveness in making each appointment count for more... Ben Hoban reflects.
Awareness of living liver donation is generally low. This article outlines the landscape of living liver donation in the UK, the indications for liver transplantation, the evaluation of potential living liver donors, the various kinds of donor partial hepatectomy and their associated
A means by which participants can make some sense of their threads... And nurse the ends of their unravelled stories. The healing ...Is in the weaving.
Yonder: a diverse selection of primary care relevant research stories from beyond the mainstream biomedical literature
Primary care has been identified as the stage in the skin cancer pathway with the greatest potential for the use of AI to increase early detection. Richard Armitage raises some issues.
Perhaps it is my patient population, my personality or perhaps it is true of all General Practice, but I notice that nearly all my consultations touch on mental health in some way. Whilst reading the book, I have managed to accept the
"... we’re in a situation where we understand the importance of patient narratives, but if we talk about this in these terms to policymakers and even some of our specialist colleagues, we’ll be dismissed as chin-stroking hippies, unable to do proper medicine."
How far have family doctor organisations around the world progressed in protecting planetary health?
The theme for World Family Doctor Day on May 19, 2024, was “Healthy Planet, Healthy People”. To mark this, the World Organisation of Family Doctors’ (WONCA) Working Party on Planetary Health surveyed its 133 member organizations (MOs) across 111 countries. Terry Temple and colleagues
The thread that runs through the debate, however, seems to be a genuine desire on both sides to help people who are suffering, and the conflict between opposing views reflects not a greater or lesser degree of care, but rather the familiar
Doctors are repeatedly referred to in the proposed legislation, and they are clearly essential in delivering the assisted dying process, but has anyone really considered the impact on those doctors? GPs are arguably the most likely profession to provide assisted dying services,
GPs have a duty to be well-informed about the issues regardless of whether we are conscientiously pro, anti, or neutral. We anticipate publishing many articles around this topic, and the specifics of the bill, and we welcome the opportunity to ensure primary
By recognizing the fundamental similarities in our approaches, we can move beyond semantic battles and focus on what truly matters: genuine connection, active listening, and meaningful support for patients.
The primary goal of BJGP Life and BJGP Life &Times is to develop a BJGP community — a virtual agora, the forum of classical times that translates across time and space as the debating room, the public house, the workplace coffee room,
Luke Sayers reflects on what the movie 'Gladiator' has to teach General Practice. We must win the crowd... before it's too late.
"In this article, we explore what happens when our automatic ways of being in relationships are no longer serving us well. Moreover, if we can observe what we are doing, is this enough to change things?"
In October and November 2024, Brian Lambert spent six weeks volunteering as a ‘medic’ at the Mavrovouni refugee camp on Lesvos, working for the Dutch charity the Boat Refugee Foundation (BRF).
"On their memorial it was recorded by the sculptor Mr Mills, that William died from 'erysipelas coming on after vaccination'. I have walked past this grave many times over the years: as a GP and occasional vaccinator it made me ponder. Those
"So there I was, wondering what to do, when I noticed the shop next door. It had a flaking hand-painted sign announcing it as Imaginary Medical Solutions, and a window display that invited deep cleaning rather than curiosity."
"I couldn’t understand, however, no matter how much I trained, how much I addressed my diet (within the realms of my understanding at the time), and how much I addressed other lifestyle factors such as sleep, why I was the heaviest I
"It is a humbling, funny, graphic, lewd, and humane account of the enduring will to live and to thrive." – Maryam Naeem reviews Shattered by Hanif Kureishi
These cautionary tales are steeped in cultural lore and parental wisdom. However, they may not always be based in truth. We have lightly explored the evidence, underscoring that while such traditions hold value, a dose of scepticism often helps separate fact from